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Guidelines for Quality Standards

GuidelinesforQualityStandards

California Department of Education Sacramento, 2000

ii

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

DE

PA

RTMENT OF EDUCATION

Publishing InformationPrograms for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Guidelines for Quality Standards was developed by the State Special Schools Division, California Department of Education, and was published by the Department, 721 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, California (mailing address: P.O. Box 944272, Sacramento, CA 94244-2720). It was distributed under the provisions of the Library Distribution Act and Government Code Section 11096.

© 2000 by the California Department of Education All rights reserved

ISBN 0-8011-1502-7

Comments or questions regarding these guidelines may be addressed to:

Nancy Grosz SagerDeaf and Hard of Hearing Programs ConsultantState Special Schools DivisionCalifornia Department of Education515 L Street, Suite 270Sacramento, CA 95814(916) 327-3868 (V/TTY)(916) 445-4550 [email protected]

Ordering Information Copies of this publication are available for $12 each, plus shipping and handling charges. California residents are charged sales tax. Orders may be sent to California Department of Education, CDE Press, Sales Office, P.O. Box 271, Sacramento, CA 95812-0271; FAX (916) 323-0823.See page 200 for complete information on payment, including credit cardpurchases. Prices on all publications are subject to change.

An illustrated Educational Resources Catalog describing publications, videos, and other instructional media available from the Department can be obtained without charge by writing to the address given above or by calling the Sales Office at (916) 445-1260.

Notice The guidance in Programs for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Guidelines for Quality Standards is not binding on local educational agencies or other entities. Except for the statutes, regulations, and court decisions that are referenced herein, the document is exemplary, and compliance with it is not mandatory. (See Education Code Section Prepared for publication

33308.5.) by CSEA members.

Contents

Preface ...................................................................................................................... v

A Vision for California’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students .................... 1

Scope of the Guidelines ..................................................................................... 4Standards of the Guidelines .............................................................................. 5

Chapter One. Identification and Referral ....................................................... 21

Identification - Child Find ............................................................................... 22Hearing Screening ............................................................................................ 24Determination of Etiology ............................................................................... 25Vision Screening ................................................................................................ 26

Chapter Two. Assessment of Unique Needs .................................................. 27

Purposes and Procedures of the Assessment Plan ....................................... 28Persons Conducting the Assessment ............................................................. 29Assessment of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants and Toddlers ............... 30Areas That May Be Assessed .......................................................................... 31Tests Administered in the Primary Language and Preferred

Language Mode ........................................................................................... 39Specialized Services, Materials, and Equipment .......................................... 39California Assessment Centers for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing ........... 40

Chapter Three. Organization for Student Learning ..................................... 41

Central Role of Communication Access and Emphasis on StudentAchievement in Program Planning .......................................................... 42

Continuum of Options Through Regionalization ........................................ 44Regionalization ................................................................................................. 50Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students with Multiple Disabilities ................ 51Regional Program Coordinator/Director ..................................................... 52Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Staff Roles and Responsibilities ...... 53Class Size and Caseloads ................................................................................. 69Staff Development ............................................................................................ 70School Safety ...................................................................................................... 72Facilities .............................................................................................................. 72Program Accountability ................................................................................... 76

iii

Chapter Four. Curriculum and Instruction ..................................................... 79

Focus on Communication ................................................................................ 80Early Childhood Programs .............................................................................. 80Elementary and Secondary School Programs ............................................... 84Transition from High School to Adult Programs ......................................... 85How Assessment Is Used ................................................................................ 86

Chapter Five. Support for Student Learning .................................................. 87

Equal Access to All School-Related Activities .............................................. 88Parental Involvement ....................................................................................... 88

Appendixes

A. Guidelines for Self-Review ..................................................................... 93B. Assessment Instruments Commonly Used with Deaf and Hard

of Hearing Students ............................................................................... 129C. Model Standards for the Certification of Educational Interpreters

for Deaf Students .................................................................................... 133D. California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Standards for

Teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students ............................... 140E. Standards of the Council on Education for the Deaf for Teachers

of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students ............................................... 151F. California Assembly Bill 1836: Deaf Children’s Bill of

Rights, 1994 ............................................................................................. 157G. U.S. Department of Education: Deaf Students Education Services;

Policy Guidance, 1992 ............................................................................ 166H. California Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 55: Relative

to the Provision of Programs for Pupils with Low IncidenceDisabilities ............................................................................................... 172

I. Resource List ........................................................................................... 175

Glossary ............................................................................................................... 193

Selected References ........................................................................................... 199

iv

Preface

T his document contains recommended guidelines for parents, teachers, administrators, governing boards, support personnel, other interagency personnel, and interested community representatives to use in identifying, assessing, planning, and providing appropriate educational services to all children who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is also intended to assist in monitoring programs for these students.

Because educational services for these students are governed by mandates established in federal and state laws and regulations, the guidelines in this document were developed to be consistent with these mandates and suggest how the mandates might be carried out.

The following people gave generously of their time, talents, and labor to make this revision possible:

John Allman Parent, Orange County; Member, IMPACT Board

Jacob Arcanin Assistant Superintendent, California School for the Deaf, Fremont; Member, IMPACT Board; Member, California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force

Zibby Bayarsky Parent, Riverside County; Outreach Coordinator, California School for the Deaf, Riverside; Member, IMPACT Board

Michele Berke Gallaudet University Regional Center at Ohlone College; Member, IMPACT Board

Susan Blackwell Itinerant Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Teacher, Capistrano Unified School District; Chair, CAL-ED Itinerant Teachers’ Special Interest Group

Suzanne Bradshaw Itinerant DHH Teacher, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District

Mary Brewer Itinerant Teacher, San Diego County Office of Education/East County SELPA

Regina Bryant DHH Teacher, Los Angeles Unified School District; President, California Educators of the Deaf (CAL-ED)

Jean Ching Retired; Former Special Education Administrator, Palo Alto Unified School District; Past President, CAL-ED

Note: The job titles of individuals were current at the time this publication was developed.

v

Dick Crow Education Programs Consultant, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Unit, California Department of Education

Shelly Freed Deaf Consumer; Special Needs DHH Teacher, California School for the Deaf, Riverside; Member, IMPACT Board

Margaret Giroux DHH Teacher, California School for the Deaf, Fremont; Member, CAL-ED Board

Debbie Golos DHH Teacher, California School for the Deaf, Fremont; Past President, CAL-ED

Priscilla Guiterrez Parent, San Bernardino County; Instructor, California State University, San Bernardino; Member, IMPACT Board

Sandy Harvey Parent, Sacramento County; Former Executive Director, American Society for Deaf Children

Barbara Hecht Professor, John Tracy Clinic

Rebecca Kahn DHH Program Administrator, Los Angeles Unified School District

Ed Kelly Deaf Consumer; Executive Director, Orange County Deaf (OCD)

Pam Lancaster Parent, Sacramento County; Client Advocate, NorCal Center on Deafness; Member, IMPACT Board

Jessica Lee Deaf Consumer; CollaborationSpecialist, Gallaudet UniversityRegional Center, Ohlone College

Jon Levy Principal, Orange County DHH Program; Member, IMPACT Board; President, California Administrators Serving the Deaf

Steve Longacre Deaf Consumer; Principal, Taft School DHH Program, Santa Ana

Angie McNeece Administrator, Imperial Valley Center for Exceptional Children

Barbara MacNeil Deaf/Hard of Hearing Consumer; DHH Program Administrator, San Diego City Unified School District; Past President, CAL-ED; Member, California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force

Sherrin Massie Audiologist, Fresno County Office of Education; Representative, California Academy of Audiology

Pam Metzger Speech Therapist, California School for the Deaf, Riverside

Ann Moxley Psychologist, Northern California Assessment Center, California School for the Deaf

Janice Myck-Wayne DHH Infant Program Service Coordinator, Los Angeles Unified School District; Past Board Member, CAL-ED

Margo Pacey Consultant, Specialized Populations Unit, California Department of Education

Rebecca Piepho Deaf Consumer; Psychologist, California School for the Deaf, Riverside; Member, California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force

vi

Laine Podell-Camino DHH Infant Program Service Coordinator, Los Angeles Unified School District; Member, CAL-ED Board

Debbie Shahady Deaf/Hard of Hearing Consumer; DHH Teacher, Selaco High School; Member, CAL-ED Board

Larry Siegel Director, National Deaf Education Project; Member, California Advisory Commission on Special Education; Member, California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force

Janie Solomon Deaf Consumer; DHH Teacher, Orange County Office of Education

Janine Swanson Consultant, Early Intervention Unit, California Department of Education

Grace Tiessen Hard of Hearing Consumer; Member, California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force; Representative, Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc. (SHHH)

Cathy Walsh Parent, San Diego; Member, California Chapter, A. G. Bell Association Board; Vice-Chair, Low Incidence Disabilities Advisory Committee; Past President, IMPACT; Member, California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force

Barbara (Bobbi) Welton Itinerant Consulting DHH Teacher, Los Angeles County Office of Education

Lenore Williams Infant DHH Teacher, Santa Clara County Office of Education; Chair, Infant and Preschool Special Interest Group, CAL-ED; Coauthor, Raising Your Deaf Child

Special thanks are extended to Cathy Walsh, Jake Arcanin, and Zibby Bayarsky, members of the final writing committee; and to Larry Siegel, for his help in writing the introduction to these guidelines.

HENRY DER ALICE D. PARKER Deputy Superintendent Education Equity, Access, and Support Branch

Director Special Education Division

RON KADISH Director State Special Schools and Services Division

vii

A Vision

nia, including students with

multiple disabilities, will be

services and technology necessary

to allow him/her to develop age-

munication (whether it be spoken,

signed, cued, tactile, or any combi

nation of these), which will allow

social, emotional, and vocational

skills needed for the establishment

for California’s Deaf and

Hearing Students

Every deaf and hard of

hearing student in Califor

provided with the educational

appropriate communication skills,

in his/her preferred mode of com

him/her to acquire the academic,

of social relationships, economic

self-sufficiency, and the assump

tion of civic responsibility.

Hard of

A Vision for California’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students 1

D eaf and hard of hearing children have unique communication needs which directly affect their

personal development and educational growth. The California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force, formed in 1996 by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, has described in clear terms the importance of those needs:

Communication is at the heart of everything human beings do; it defines and gives meaning to our emotions, beliefs, hopes, creativity, and life experiences. Without communication, a child is lost. The effective development, understanding, and expression of language are fundamental to any educational experience and are particularly crucial for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Communication and educational growth depend on a lan-guage-rich environment, one with ongoing, direct, and age-appropriate language opportunities. We take it for granted that hearing children will be in such an environment. Too often, the deaf or hard-of-hearing child sits alone in a classroom, unable to communicate effectively with peers and teachers.

Because of their unique communication needs, deaf and hard-of-hearing children are distinct from all other children with disabilities. Children with a learning handicap or an emotional disability can communicate with the world around them. While deaf and hard-of-hearing children may have effective modes of communication, they often do not have the opportunity for direct communication with others. This distinction is fundamental and separates deaf and hard-of-hearing children from others in the educational world (Communication Access and Quality Education for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Children 1999, 1).

Most hearing children enter school with the ability to process and integrate spoken information. They have acquired an extensive vocabulary and have mastered the basic sentence patterns that they will use for the rest of their lives. The school system establishes its programs and services for such children and develops a curriculum based on the assumption that all children enter school with basic language skills. The schools then proceed to teach children to read, write, and compute. With these tools children are ready for the acquisition of information in the content areas.

A Vision for California’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students2

Public education in general helps students to reach the goals of self-realization, development of proper human relationships, attainment of economic sufficiency, and assumption of civic responsibility. These are the identical goals in educating children who are deaf or hard of hearing. However, deaf and hard of hearing children most often do not bring to their education experience the same extensive language background or the same degree of language skills as do hearing children. Deaf and hard of hearing children born to hearing parents begin life unable to access the communication system of those around them. Unless they are provided with early intervention services that provide them with intensive, accessible language input, they may not develop a vocabulary (either signed or spoken) or an understanding of how to use words in structured sentences that transmit meaning to others.

A primary need for deaf and hard of hearing children is a communication system that is accessible and allows for effective and efficient social interaction and the acquisition and sharing of ideas and concepts. Without communication deaf or hard of hearing children may experience limited learning opportunities and human isolation.

In recent years both federal and state laws have recognized the unique educational needs of children with hearing loss. These unique needs include:

• A communication mode that is identified, respected, utilized, and developed to an appropriate level of proficiency

• An understanding by all service providers of the unique nature of deafness and specific training to work with deaf and hard of hearing children

• Special education teachers and support personnel proficient in the student’s primary language mode and language

• A sufficient number of language-mode peers of similar age and ability

• Involvement in program development by parents and by deaf and hard of hearing adults

• Access and exposure to deaf and hard of hearing role models

• Equal access to all components of the educational process, including lunch, recess, and extracurricular social and athletic activities

A primary need for deaf and hard of

communication system that is accessible and allows for effective and efficient social interac-tion and the acquisition and sharing of ideas and concepts.

hearing children is a


Close cooperation and coordination

and individuals

ing instruction and

meeting those needs

among parents, all agencies, programs,

assessing and provid

services are the keys to

successfully.

• Access to vocational programs • Access to appropriate technology, including assistive

listening devices • Accommodations, when appropriate, in the general edu

cation classroom, including but not limited to quality educational interpreting services, real-time captioning, note-taking support, assistive listening devices, preferential seating, adequate lighting levels, and modification in teaching style

These guidelines are specifically intended to assist parents and educators in providing deaf and hard of hearing children with an education that is rich in communication so that they may achieve their academic, social-emotional, and vocational potential in adulthood.

Scope of the Guidelines

These guidelines have been established and revised in accordance with California Education Code Section 56136.

That section states: The superintendent shall develop guidelines for each low incidence disability area and provide technical assistance to parents, teachers, and administrators regarding the implementation of the guidelines. The guidelines shall clarify the identification, assessment, planning of, and the provision of, specialized services to pupils with low incidence disabilities. The superintendent shall consider the guidelines when monitoring programs serving pupils with low incidence disabilities pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 56836.04. The adopted guidelines shall be promulgated for the purpose of establishing recommended guidelines and shall not operate to impose minimum state requirements.

These guidelines serve as a model for meeting the unique educational needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. All instruction and services provided to students who are deaf or hard of hearing need to be planned and coordinated to focus on all of the specified needs of the student. Close cooperation and coordination among parents, all agencies, programs, and individuals assessing and providing instruction and services are the keys to meeting those needs successfully. Readers of this publication may wish to contact the California Department of Education (see Acknowledgments) for technical assistance and publications in these areas.


Standards of the Guidelines

The significant standards for each chapter reflect the best current theories and practices regarding programs and

services for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. The specific guidelines for meeting the unique needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing are addressed within each chapter. An overview of the standards and relevant legal citations follows:

Standards for Chapter One: Identification and Referral


1. Procedures exist for locating and referring deaf and hard of hearing youngsters who may require special education.

Key

ACR refers to Assembly Concurrent Resolution.

EC refers to Education Code.

GC refers to Government Code.

IDEA refers to the Individuals with DisabilitiesEducation Act.

17 CCR refers to California Code of Regulations,Title 17; the number that follows is the sectionnumber. (In 5 CCR, the 5 refers to Title 5.)

2. Programs for deaf and hard of hearing students establish collaborative relationships with local health care providers, hospitals, audiologists, social service agencies, and child care programs in order to ensure that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with identified hearing loss are promptly referred to the appropriate Early Start or special education program.

Legal Citations

Each district, SELPA, or county office shall actively and systematically seek out all individuals with exceptional needs ages 0-21 years. (EC 56300)

Regional centers and LEAs shall conduct child find activities to locate all infants and toddlers who may be eligible for early intervention services. (17 CCR 52040[a])

Child find activities may include:

(1) Assigning liaisons to local hospitals with neonatal intensive care units;

(2) Contacting local parent organizations and support groups;

(3) Distributing early intervention materials toagencies and individuals providing medical, social and educational services in the community;

(4) Communitywide health and developmentalscreening;

(5) Producing and distributing public service announcements;

(6) Producing pamphlets, brochures and other written communication; and,

(7) Making presentations to local professional groups, philanthropic organizations and other organizations established to inform and/or to serve culturally diverse populations. (17 CCR 52040[b])


Standards for Chapter One: Identification and Referral (Continued)

Standards of the Guidelines Legal Citations

Regional centers and LEAs shall coordinate local child find activities with each other and other public agencies. (17 CCR 52040[c])

Primary referral sources include but are not limited to hospitals, including prenatal and postnatal care facilities, physicians, parents, child care programs, LEAs, public health facilities, other social service agencies and other health care providers. (17 CCR 52040[d])

Regional centers and LEAs shall inform primary referral sources of the:

(1) Eligibility criteria for early intervention services;

(2) Types of early intervention services available through the Early Start Program;

(3) Contact persons and telephone numbers for regional centers and LEAs; and,

(4) Federal requirement that a referral shall be made to the regional center or LEA within two (2) working days of identification of an infant or toddler who is in need of early intervention services. (17 CCR 52040[e])

3. School districts and county offices of Each pupil shall be given a screening test in education conduct legally mandated kindergarten or first grade and in second, fifth, hearing screenings to identify pupils eighth, and tenth or eleventh grades. (Health who may have a hearing loss. and Safety Code Section 1685)

4. Students who fail hearing screenings All pupils continuing to fail a threshold test receive an audiological assessment. shall be assessed by a licensed or credentialed

audiologist and such assessment shall be part of the assessment plan. (5 CCR 3028)

5. Deaf and hard of hearing students are All pupils being assessed for initial and three-screened for visual impairment at legally year review for special education services shall mandated intervals. have had a hearing and vision screening, unless

parent permission was denied. (5 CCR 3027)


Standards for Chapter Two: Assessment of Unique Needs


6. The assessment of deaf and hard of hearing students is conducted by assessment personnel who understand the unique nature of hearing loss and are specifically trained to work with deaf and hard of hearing students.

7. The assessment of infants and toddlers suspected of having a hearing loss is conducted by qualified personnel knowledgeable about deafness. The assessment includes evaluation of cognitive development, physical and motor development, communication development, social/ emotional development, and adaptive development.

8. The assessment of students suspected of having a hearing loss includes all areas related to their disabilities.

9. Tests are provided and administered in the student’s primary language and preferred mode of communication.

Legal Citations

The assessment of a pupil, including the assessment of a pupil with a suspected low incidence disability, shall be conducted by persons knowledgeable of that disability. (EC 56320[g])

The determination of eligibility for an infant or toddler shall be made by qualified personnel of the regional center or LEA. The determination shall be made with the participation of the multidisciplinary team including the parent. (b) Evaluation and assessment shall be based on informed clinical opinion and include:

(1) A review of pertinent records related to the infant’s or toddler’s health status and medical history provided by qualified health professionals who have evaluated or assessed the infant or toddler;

(2) Information obtained from parental observation and report; and,

(3) Evaluation by qualified personnel of theinfant’s or toddler’s level of functioning in each of the following areas:

(A) Cognitive development;

(B) Physical and motor development, includ-ing vision and hearing;

(C) Communication development;

(D) Social or emotional development; and

(E) Adaptive development. (17 CCR 52082[a] and [b])

Individuals are assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability. (EC 56320[f])

Tests are provided and administered in the student’s primary language or other mode of communication, unless the assessment plan indicates reasons why this provision and administration are clearly not feasible. (EC 56320[b][1])


Standards for Chapter Two: Assessment of Unique Needs (Continued)


10. The assessment report identifies the unique educational needs of the student related to the hearing loss, including needs for specialized services, materials and equipment, and accommodations in the educational environment.

11. Deaf and hard of hearing students are referred to the Northern or Southern California Assessment Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, when appropriate.

Legal Citations

Special attention shall be given to the unique educational needs, including, but not limited to, skills and the need for specialized services, materials, and equipment consistent with guidelines established pursuant to Section 56136. (EC 56320[g])

A pupil may be referred, as appropriate, for further assessment and recommendations to the California Schools for the Deaf or Blind or the Diagnostic Centers. (EC 56326)

Standards for Chapter Three: Organization for Student Learning


12. The program for deaf and hard of hearing students has a clear statement of purpose, including expected student learning results. The statement addresses the critical need for equal opportunity for communication access.

13. The program has a written policy on the central role of communication in the development and education of deaf and hard of hearing students. That policy includes the following elements:

• Appropriate, early, and ongoing communication assessment

Legal Citations

Deafness involves the most basic of human needs—the ability to communicate with other human beings. Many hard of hearing and deaf children use an appropriate communication mode, sign language, which may be their primary language, while others express and receive language orally and aurally, with or without visual signs or cues. Still others, typically young hard of hearing and deaf children, lack any significant language skills. It is essential for the well-being and growth of hard of hearing and deaf children that educational programs recognize the unique nature of deafness and ensure that all hard of hearing and deaf children have appropriate, ongoing, and fully accessible educational opportunities. (EC 56000.5[b][1])

It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have an education in which their unique communication mode is respected, utilized, and developed to an appropriate level of proficiency. (EC 56000.5[b][2])

It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children have an education in which special education teachers, psychologists, speech


Standards for Chapter Three: Organization for Student Learning (Continued)


• Appropriate, early, and ongoing communication development and communication access, which means a critical mass of age and language peers and staff proficient in the child’s communication mode

• Recognition of the unique nature of hearing loss

• Recognition of the unique cultural and linguistic needs of deaf children

• Assurance that each child will have access to communication-related services (including qualified sign and oral interpreters, Cued Speech transliteration, electronic note-taking and assistive listening devices) and extracurricular activities

Legal Citations

therapists, assessors, administrators, and other special education personnel understand the unique nature of deafness and are specifically trained to work with hard of hearing and deaf pupils.

It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children have an education in which their special education teachers are proficient in the language mode of those children. (EC 56000.5[b][3])

It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have an education with a significant number of language mode peers with whom they can communicate directly and who are of the same, or approximately the same, age and ability level. (EC 56000.5[b][4])

It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have programs in which they have direct access to all components of the educational process, including, but not limited to, recess, lunch, and extracurricular social and athletic activities. (EC 56000.5[b][7])

Pupils with low-incidence disabilities require highly specialized services, equipment, and materials. (EC 56000.5[a][2])

Specialized services for low-incidence disabilities may include:

(a) Specially designed instruction related to the unique needs of pupils with low-incidence disabilities provided by teachers credentialed pursuant to Education Code Section 44265;

(b) Specialized services related to the unique needs of pupils with low-incidence disabilities provided by qualified individuals such as interpreters, notetakers, readers, transcribers, and other individuals who provide specialized materials and equipment. (5 CCR 3051.16)




• Assurance that English-language acquisition is recognized as the paramount factor in the design of programs, curricula, materials, and assessment instruments and in professional and parent training

• Recognition of American Sign Language as a distinct language of deaf people and the development of standards for teaching it as a language

• Assurance that sign language instruction is provided on a continuing basis to deaf students and their families

Legal Citations

It is the policy of the state to insure the mastery of English by all pupils in the schools. (EC 30-30.5)

When appropriate, the individualized education program shall also include . . . For individuals whose primary language is other than English, linguistically appropriate goals, objectives, programs, and services. (EC 56345[b][4])

“Linguistically appropriate goals, objectives, and programs” means (1)(A) Those activities which lead to the development of English language proficiency through the use of the primary language of the individual with exceptional needs; and (B) Those instructional systems, either at the elementary or secondary level which meet the language development needs of the limited English proficient individual by building on the individual’s existing language skills in order to develop English proficiency. (5 CCR 3001[s][1])

Over the last 20 years, a significant and growing body of scientific inquiry of American Sign Language (ASL) has been undertaken, with the result that ASL is now generally recognized as a separate and complete language with its own grammar and syntax. . . . The study and learning ofASL contributes to a greater understanding of the social and cultural aspects of deafness and to the breakdown of the communication barriers that have existed between hearing people and deaf people. (ACR No. 22, 1987) [For purposes of meeting high school graduation requirements] . . . a course inAmerican Sign Language shall be deemed a course in foreign language. (EC 51225.3)

Instruction and services for deaf and hard of hearing pupils shall be provided by an individual holding an appropriate credential, who has competencies to provide services to the hearing impaired and who has training,

10 A Vision for California’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students



• Assurance that the communication and experience and proficient communicationlanguage needs of deaf and hard of skills for educating pupils with hearinghearing students who rely on auditory/ impairments. Such services may include but verbal or oral/aural language are fully need not be limited to:provided for (1) Speech, speech reading and auditory

training.

(2) Instruction in oral, sign, and written language development.

(3) Rehabilitative and educational services forhearing impaired individuals to include monitoring amplification, coordinating information for the annual review, and recommending additional services.

(4) Adapting curricula, methods, media, and the environment to facilitate the learning process.

(5) Consultation to pupils, parents, teachers, and other school personnel as necessary to maximize the pupil’s experiences in the regular education program. (5 CCR 3051.18[a])

Consideration of Special Factors. The IEPeducation program (IEP) team, as re

• Assurance that the individualized Team shall—

quired by law, determines placement Consider the communication needs of the based on the identified and essential child, and in the case of a child who is deaf or communication needs of the child hard of hearing, consider the child’s language

and communication needs, opportunities for direct communications with peers and professional personnel in the child’s language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child’s language and communication mode. (IDEA Section 1414[d][3][B][iv])

Consistent with Section 56000.5 and clause (iv) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph 3 of subsection (d) of Section 1414 of Title 20 of the United States Code, it is the intent of the Legislature that, in making a decision of what constitutes an appropriate education to meet the unique needs of a deaf or hard of hearing pupil in the




least restrictive environment, the individualized education program team shall consider the related services and program options that provide the pupil with an equal opportunity for communication access. The individualized education program team shall specifically discuss the communication needs of the pupil, consistent with the guidelines adopted pursuant to Section 56136 and page 49274 of Volume 57 of the Federal Register, including all of the following:

(1) The pupil’s primary language mode and language, which may include the use of spoken language with or without visual cues, or the use of sign language, or both.

(2) The availability of a sufficient number of age, cognitive, and language peers of similar abilities which may be met by consolidating services into a local plan areawide program or providing placement pursuant to Section 56361.

(3) Appropriate, direct, and ongoing language access to special education teachers and other specialists who are proficient in the pupil’s primary language mode and language consistent with existing law regarding teacher training requirements.

(4) Services necessary to ensure communica-tion-accessible academic instructions, school services, and extracurricular activities consistent with the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as set forth in Section 794 of Title 29 of the United States Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as set forth in Section 12000 and following of Title 42 of the United States Code. (EC 56345[e])

14. The governing authority and the superin- Each county office and district governing tendent adopt policies that are consistent board shall have authority over the programs with the program purpose and these it directly maintains, consistent with the local guidelines. The policies support the plan submitted pursuant to Section 56195.1. achievement of the expected schoolwide (EC 56195.5) “Local plan” means a plan that learning results for students. The govern- meets the requirements of Chapter 3 (coming authority delegates implementation of mencing with Section 56200) and that is




these policies to the professional staff and monitors results.

15. The program provides access to a full continuum of placement, program, service, and communication options. The program collaborates with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Unit in the State Special Schools Division, other programs for deaf and hard of hearing students in the region, the State Special Schools, the Department of Rehabilitation, institutions of higher education, and other agencies to ensure provision of appropriate services.

16. Programs and services should be provided through regionalization to more effectively serve deaf and hard of hearing students.

Legal Citations

submitted by a school district, special education local plan area, or county office. (EC 56027)

Each special education local plan area shall ensure that a continuum of program options is available to meet the needs of individuals with exceptional needs for special education and related services, as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 United States Code Section 1400 et seq.) and federal regulations relating thereto. (EC 56360)

Given their unique communication needs , hard of hearing and deaf children would benefit from the development and implementation of regional programs for children with low-incidence disabilities. (EC 56000.5[b][10]) Pupils are to be educated in the least restrictive environment, which can be enhanced through regionalization. (ACR No. 55, 1992) Direct Services by the State Educational Agency—

(1) In General—A State educational agencyshall use the payments that would otherwise have been available to a local educational agency or to a State agency to provide special education and related services directly to children with disabilities residing in the area served by that local agency, or for whom that State agency is responsible, if the State educational agency determines that the local education agency or State agency, as the case may be—

(A) has not provided the information needed to establish the eligibility of such agency under this section;

(B) is unable to establish and maintain programs of free appropriate public education that meet the requirements of subsection (a);




17. Provision is made for appropriate services for deaf and hard of hearing students with multiple disabilities.

18. The program coordinator/director is an experienced educator of deaf and hard of hearing students, with skills to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students are provided with appropriate instruction and designated services. The program coordinator has the skills necessary for facilitating participation of staff, parents, and the deaf and hard of hearing community in program development.

19. Each program provides qualified professional and paraprofessional personnel, including administrators, who have the skills necessary to provide instruction and services that meet the educational needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. Skills must include proficiency in the student’s primary mode of communication, knowledge of accommodations necessary to meet the student’s needs, and knowledge of selection, use, and maintenance of assistive listening devices.

Legal Citations

(C) is unable or unwilling to be consoli dated with one or more local educational agencies in order to establish and maintain such programs; or

(D) has one or more children with disabilities who can best be served by a regional or State program or service-delivery system designed to meet the needs of such children.

(IDEA Section 1413[h])

Every individual with exceptional needs, who is eligible to receive educational instruction, related services, or both under this part shall receive such educational instruction, services, or both, at no cost to his or her parents, as appropriate, to him or her. (EC 56040)

It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children have an education in which special education teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, assessors, administrators, and other special education personnel understand the unique nature of deafness and are specifically trained to work with hard of hearing and deaf pupils. It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children have an education in which their special education teachers are proficient in the primary language mode of those children. (EC 56000.5[b][3])

It is the intent of the Legislature that the communication skills of teachers who work with hard of hearing and deaf children be improved, however, nothing in this section shall be construed to remove the local educational agency’s discretionary authority in regard to in-service activities. (EC 56345[g])




20. Deaf and hard of hearing students, birth through age twenty-one, including those with multiple disabilities, are instructed by teachers who are specifically trained and credentialed to teach deaf and hard of hearing students.

21. Class size and caseloads of staff should allow for providing specialized instruction and services based on the unique educational needs of deaf and hard of hearing students.

22. The program provides annual and ongoing training for all staff to enhance student achievement.

23. The program provides training to general education personnel serving its deaf and hard of hearing students regarding accommodations, modifications of the curriculum, and understanding of the impact of hearing loss on communication development.

Legal Citations

Pupils who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be taught by teachers whose professional preparation and credential authorization are specific to that impairment. (EC 44265.5[b])

Credentialed personnel with expertise in vision or hearing impairments shall be made available by the district, special education local plan area, or county office to early education programs serving infants identified in accordance with subdivision (a), (b), or (d) of Section 3030 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, and shall be the primary providers of services whenever possible. (EC 56426.6[b])

Special centers operating under this section shall: Be staffed by qualified personnel at a pupil/adult ratio to enable implementation of the pupils’ individualized education programs. (5 CCR 3054[a][2])

Staff development programs shall be provided for regular and special education teachers, administrators, certificated and classified employees, volunteers, community advisory committee members and, as appropriate, members of the district and county governing boards. (EC 56240)

Positive efforts shall be made to ensure that individuals with exceptional needs and parents of such individuals are involved in the design and implementation of staff development programs. (EC 56241[b])

It is the intent of the Legislature, pursuant to this article, that each district, special education local plan area, and county office provide regular education teachers serving individuals with exceptional needs appropriate training each year relating to the needs of those individuals. (EC 56243)




24. The program provides a safe and secure environment in which to learn and teach. Its atmosphere reflects the program’s purpose and is characterized by respect for differences, trust, caring, professionalism, support, and high expectations for each student.

25. Facilities are designed and maintained to enhance the provision of instruction and services to meet the unique communication, education, and safety needs of students who are deaf and hard of hearing:

• Deaf and hard of hearing students have access to specialized materials and equipment and services that provide communication access to the core curriculum.

• Classrooms for deaf and hard of hearing students are clean, well-lit, and acoustically appropriate; are equipped with visual emergency warning signals; and provide students with adequate technological tools and curriculum materials for learning.

• Classrooms for deaf and hard of hearing students are the same size as classrooms for general education students on the same campus.

Legal Citations

The Legislature hereby recognizes that all pupils enrolled in the state public schools have the inalienable right to attend classes on campuses that are safe, secure, and peaceful. (EC 32261)

The Legislature further finds and declares that pupils learn best when school personnel and

school structure are responsive to their individual characteristics and strengths, and when the school establishes an atmosphere of high expectations for all pupils, regardless of sex, racial, ethnic, linguistic, or socioeconomic background. (EC 58901[c])

The individualized education program (IEP) includes for pupils with low-incidence disabilities, specialized services, materials, and equipment, consistent with guidelines established pursuant to Section 56136. (EC 56345[b][5])

Special centers operating pursuant to 5 CCR 3054 shall: Provide an emergency communication system for the health and safety of individuals with exceptional needs, such as fire, earthquake, and smog alerts. (5 CCR 3054[a][3])

Special centers operating pursuant to 5 CCR 3054 shall: Have specialized equipment and facilities to meet the needs of individuals served in the special centers. (5 CCR 3054[a][4])

Portable classrooms for infant and preschool programs shall be adequately equipped to meet the educational needs of these students, including, but not limited to, sinks and restroom facilities. (EC 17089.5)

Special day classrooms are at least the same size as regular education classrooms at that site and are properly equipped for the students who will occupy the space, for their age and type of disabling condition. (5 CCR 14030[h][3][D])




• Space for itinerant teachers, speech and language specialists, and other support personnel serving deaf and hard of hearing students is clean, well-lit, acoustically appropriate, and of adequate size for instruction and for storage of instructional materials.

• Space is available where parent conferences and IEP meetings can be held with confidentiality.

26. The school leadership and staff regularly assess each student’s progress toward accomplishing the expected schoolwide learning results and report student progress to the rest of the school community, including parents, deaf and hard of hearing community, and related agencies and organizations.

27. The program conducts a self-review as part of the state monitoring process, using these guidelines and encompassing all areas of program quality, and provides written progress reports annually to parents, staff, and the community.

28. The instructional delivery system supports students’ learning in a developmentally appropriate context and focuses on the unique communication needs of deaf and hard of hearing students in order to support students’ success.

Legal Citations

A new school designates at least 200 square feet for the speech and language program which is close to classrooms when an individualized instruction program is necessary. (5 CCR 14030[h][3][B])

A new school designates office area for the psychologist/counseling program which provides for confidentiality and may be shared with other support service programs. (5 CCR 14030[h][3][C])

A conference area is available to conduct annual individualized education program meetings for each special education student. (5 CCR 14030[h][3][H])

In accordance with a program evaluation plan adopted pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 56100, the superintendent shall submit to the board, the Legislature, and the Governor, an annual evaluation of the special education programs implemented under this part. (EC 56602)

The superintendent shall consider the guidelines for each low-incidence disability when monitoring programs serving pupils with low-incidence disabilities pursuant to Section 56825. (EC 56136)

Consistent with Section 56000.5 and clause (iv) of subpart (B) of paragraph (3) of subsec-tion (d) of Section 1414 of Title 20 of the United States Code, it is the intent of the Legislature that, in making a determination of what constitutes an appropriate education to meet the unique needs of a deaf or hard of hearing pupil in the least restrictive environment, the individualized education program team shall consider the related services and program options that provide the pupil with an equal opportunity for communication access. (EC 56345[e])


Standards for Chapter Four: Curriculum and Instruction


29. Curriculum and instruction for deaf and hard of hearing infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, including those with multiple disabilities, are family focused, developmentally appropriate, and focused on the development of communication skills and linguistic competence to ensure later academic, social, and vocational success.

30. School-aged deaf and hard of hearing children, including those with multiple disabilities, are provided with a challenging, coherent, and relevant core and specialized curriculum to ensure students’ achievement toward expected schoolwide learning results. The professional staff implements a variety of engaging learning experiences based on up-to-date and research-based teaching and learning principles.

31. Deaf and hard of hearing students aged fourteen and older are provided with appropriate transition services, including vocational education and information regarding postsecondary educational options.

Legal Citations

The family is the constant in the child’s life, while the service system and personnel within those systems fluctuate. Because the primary responsibility of an infant or toddler’s wellbeing rests with the family, services should support and enhance the family’s capability to meet the special developmental needs of their infant or toddler with disabilities. (GC 95001[a][3])

Early education services for preschool children may be provided to individuals or small groups and shall include: Presenting activities that are developmentally appropriate for the preschool child and are specifically designed, based on the child’s exceptional needs, to enhance the child’s development. (EC 56441.3[a][2])

Funds for regionalized operations and services and the direct instructional support or program specialists shall be apportioned to the special education local plan areas. As a condition to receiving those funds, the special education local plan area shall assure that all functions listed below (subdivisions [a] to [q]) are performed in accordance with the description set forth in its local plan adopted pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 56205. These functions shall include a . . . (e) coordinated system of curriculum development and alignment with the core curriculum. (EC 56836.23[c])

Beginning at age 14, and updated annually, a statement of the transition service needs of the pupil shall be included in the pupil’s individualized education program. The statement shall be included under applicable components of the pupil’s individualized education program that focuses on the pupil’s courses of study, such as advanced-placement courses or a vocational education program. (EC 56345.1[a])

Beginning at age 16 or younger and annually thereafter in accordance with Section 56462


Standards for Chapter Four: Curriculum and Instruction (Continued)


and paragraph (30) of Section 1401 on Title 20 of the United States Code, a statement of needed transition services shall be included in the pupil’s individualized education program, including whenever appropriate, a statement of interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages. (EC 56345.1[b])

32. The program uses assessment to measure It is the intent of the Legislature that school students’ achievement, design effective districts and schools use the results of the instruction, and communicate the academic achievement tests administered program’s effectiveness. Deaf and hard of annually as part of the statewide pupil assess-hearing students are included in statewide ment program to provide support to pupils and local assessments. and parents or guardians in order to assist

pupils in strengthening their development as learners, and thereby to improve their academic achievement and performance in subsequent assessments. (EC 60607[b])

Standards for Chapter Five: Support for Student Learning


33. The program provides equal access for all students in curricular and extracurricular activities and designated and related services.

34. The program has an ongoing process for involving parents and the deaf and hard of hearing community in program development and encourages strong collaboration between school staff, parents, deaf and hard of hearing community members, and the business community. The program leadership employs a wide range of strategies to ensure that parental and

Legal Citations

It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have programs in which they have direct and appropriate access to all components of the educational process, including, but not limited to, recess, lunch, and extracurricular social and athletic activities. (EC 56000.5[b][7])

Pupils with low-incidence disabilities require highly specialized services, equipment, and materials. (EC 56000.5[b])

It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children have an education in which their parents and, where appropriate, hard of hearing and deaf people are involved in determining the extent, content, and purpose of programs. (EC 56000.5[b][5])

The Legislature encourages the business community to become a full partner in the


Standards for Chapter Five: Support for Student Learning (Continued)


community involvement is integral to the efforts to restructure California’s public program’s established support system for education and to offer its resources, including students. time, expertise and skills, leadership, and

financial assistance, to further this demonstration of restructuring in public education. (EC 58901[i])

The superintendent shall encourage the maximum practicable involvement of parents of children enrolled in special education programs. (EC 56126)


Assessment of Unique Needs

Chapter One

In California a student

is eligible for special

education services if he or

she “has a hearing impairment,

whether permanent or fluctuating,

which impairs the processing of

ing, even with amplification and

performance. Processing linguistic

information includes speech and

language reception and speech and

language discrimination.”

California Code of Regulations,

Section 3030(a)

Identification and Referral

linguistic information through hear

which adversely affects educational

Title 5,

21

U nder the Individuals with Disabilities Education

have indicated that the earlier a child is identified as having a hearing loss and

services and a means of communication, the

for that child to succeed later on.

Act (IDEA) regulations, deafness is defined as “a hearing impairment which is so severe that a child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing,

Research studies

provided special

greater the chances are

with or without amplification, which adversely affects educational performance.” A child is hard of hearing if he or she has “a hearing impairment, whether permanent or fluctuating, which adversely affects a child’s educational performance, but which is not included under the definition of ‘deaf’” (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Part 30, § 300.7).

Any hearing loss, which may be mild to profound, bilateral or unilateral, reverse slope, cookie bite, and permanent or fluctuating, may result in delays in the development of speech and language and may result in delays in achievement of academic potential. The Guidelines for Audiology Services in the Schools (1993) states, “The potential negative impact of mild, fluctuating, and unilateral losses in children is greater than was recognized in the past.” Therefore, any child with such an audiogram provided by a licensed audiologist should be referred to the deaf and hard of hearing program for an educational screening. This may lead to further assessment that may indicate the need for special education and related services.

Identification - Child Find

Identification is the process of seeking out and locating all deaf and hard of hearing individuals from birth through

age twenty-one. Research studies have indicated that the earlier a child is identified as having a hearing loss and provided special services and a means of communication, the greater the chances are for that child to succeed later on.

Children identified from birth through thirty-six months of age follow the federal guidelines under Part C of IDEA. In California infant and toddler services are referred to as California Early Start Services. Children identified from ages three through twenty-one fall under the guidelines of Part B of IDEA.

22 Chapter One

Guidelines Standard 1

special education.

Procedures exist for locating and referring deaf and hard of hearing youngsters who may require

School districts, county offices of education, and special education local plan areas (SELPAs) are responsible for developing and implementing a communitywide child-find system for locating and identifying individuals, birth through age twenty-one, who may have a hearing loss.

Available media, special events (e.g., Deaf Awareness Month), and interagency collaboration should be utilized in the coordination of the educational agencies’ identification and referral procedures. Child-find activities may include but not be limited to:

• Producing and distributing public service announcements • Producing pamphlets, brochures, and other written com

munications • Making presentations and distributing information re

garding hearing loss to local hospitals and other medical care providers and agencies, child care providers, social service agencies, educational agencies, parent organizations and support groups, professional organizations, philanthropic and service organizations, and other organizations established to inform or serve culturally diverse populations

• Providing communitywide hearing screening


Programs for deaf and hard of hearing students establish collaborative relationships with local

health care providers, hospitals, audiologists, social service agencies, and child care programs in order to

ensure that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with identified hearing loss are promptly referred to the appropriate Early Start or special education program.

School districts, county offices of education, and Department of Developmental Services Regional Centers are responsible for establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships

Identification and Referral 23

with these local primary referral sources and for providing them with necessary information regarding:

• Eligibility criteria for special education services • Types of programs and services available for deaf and

hard of hearing individuals, birth through age twenty-one • Contact persons and telephone numbers for regional

centers and public-school-operated programs and services for deaf and hard of hearing students

• The federal requirement that a referral to the Early Start Program be made within two working days of identification of an infant or toddler with a hearing loss

Hearing Screening


School districts and county offices of education

identify pupils who may have a hearing loss. conduct legally mandated hearing screenings to

Hearing screening is a procedure used to identify children who may require additional assessment to determine whether they have any special needs; for example, special education and related services and/or medical treatment. Screening procedures generally are easily administered, given in a brief period of time, inclusive of parents’ observations and interviews, inexpensive, and indicative of the need for further evaluation. The screenings facilitate identification of a suspected hearing loss, but they do not provide an analysis of the type or degree of hearing loss. A screening is not a substitute for a diagnostic assessment. According to state and federal regulations, information from a screening alone may not be used to determine a child’s hearing loss, but the results are used as criteria for a referral for more extensive evaluations.

Every newborn infant should be screened for hearing loss before leaving the hospital. Every infant who fails a screening should be referred for further audiological assessment and, if found to have a hearing loss, referred to the appropriate educational and medical agencies for follow-up services. Federal law requires that infants found to have a hearing loss be referred to the Early Start Program operated by the regional center or the local educational agency within two days of identification.

24 Chapter One

Infants and toddlers being assessed for eligibility for the Early Start Program must be given a hearing assessment prior to their first individualized family service plan (IFSP). Preschool special education students must be given a hearing screening prior to transition from preschool to kindergarten.

In schools each pupil must be given a hearing screening in kindergarten or first grade and in second, fifth, eighth, and tenth or eleventh grades. Each pupil enrolled in special education programs or ungraded classes must be given hearing tests when enrolled in the program and every third year thereafter, pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 1685. Screening should not be used for those students who are already identified with a hearing loss.


audiological assessment. Students who fail hearing screenings receive an

The schools must provide the parents or guardians of children who fail the hearing screening with written notification of the screening results and recommend that further audiological and/or otological evaluation be obtained, pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 1685. The school administrator is responsible for developing and implementing procedures to ensure that referrals resulting from the school hearing screening are acted on. Audiometric screening and rescreening by an audiologist should precede any referral for educational follow-up.

A referral to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program or a specialist for educational screening and assessment should be initiated when a student’s hearing loss has been substantiated.

Determination of Etiology

The etiology for a child’s hearing loss provides information regarding possible needs based on characteristics

that may be prevalent. Due to various etiologies that involve neurological components, such as rubella, students with a hearing loss are at greater risk for concomitant disorders, such as learning disabilities and attention deficits. Diseases and accidents that cause deafness may often cause physical


disabilities as well as neurological and developmental disorders. Genetic origins may result in an individual’s hearing loss or other disabilities long after birth. The etiology for all children’s hearing loss should be identified when possible.

Vision Screening


for visual impairment at legally mandated intervals.

Deaf and hard of hearing students are screened

by a physician. This

will have major implications for educational planning.

Parents should be aware that all

children with a hearing loss should be screened for Usher syndrome

syndrome, which results in deaf-blindness,

Hearing loss places increased demands on visual functioning. Visual impairments must be detected and treated to assist children who are deaf or hard of hearing in achieving their maximum potential.

Vision assessment procedures for all deaf and hard of hearing children must be conducted prior to the child’s first individualized family service plan (IFSP) or individualized education program (IEP) or when they enroll in school, and at appropriate intervals, including at the time of transition from preschool to kindergarten, as required by Education Code Section 49455.

The vision screening should include an assessment of (1) visual acuity, far and near; (2) field of vision; (3) color vision; (4) personal and family ocular history; and (5) Usher syndrome. The schools must provide the parents or guardians of children who fail the vision screening with written notification of the screening results and recommend that a medical evaluation be obtained.

Parents should be aware that all children with a hearing loss should be screened for Usher syndrome by a physician. This syndrome, which results in deaf-blindness, will have major implications for educational planning. Brochures and information regarding Usher syndrome or other syndromes affecting hearing and vision may be obtained from California Deaf-Blind Services.

School districts should be aware that if a child has been diagnosed with any syndrome that puts hearing and vision at risk, support services, such as orientation and mobility, instruction in the use of Braille by a vision specialist, and adaptive devices, may be required in meeting the child’s educational needs.

26 Chapter One

Chapter TwoAssessment of Unique Needs

ment of their unique needs

when initially identified and

entering a special education

Deaf and hard of

hearing students are

to receive an assess

at least every three years after

program.


Purposes and Procedures of the Assessment Plan

A

involvement during

is crucial in obtaining both the quantity and quality of information

best education and communication deci

of hearing.

n assessment plan is required to determine what information is already available and what information is

needed. The goal of the assessment is to gather valid infor-

Parental

the assessment process

required to make the

sions for children who are deaf or hard

mation about the child’s present level of functioning in the school or home setting, or both, in order to construct an educational plan to meet the unique needs of the individual child.

In assessing and identifying the unique needs of children with a hearing loss, one needs to recognize conditions that affect individual needs, such as the following:

• Primary language and preferred mode of communication • Etiology of hearing loss • Age of onset and age of diagnosis • Type and severity of hearing loss • Potential for use of residual hearing • Auditory skills • Visual skills • Effectiveness of amplification • Family history, including home language and cultural

factors, and hearing status of family members • Educational history • Health and developmental history • Multidisabling conditions • Attitude of the student

Parental involvement during the assessment process is crucial in obtaining both the quantity and quality of information required to make the best education and communication decisions for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Procedures used in an assessment may include:

• Observations • Parent interviews • Medical and audiological history • Gathering of educational information • Play assessment • Developmental scales • Norm-referenced tests • Criterion-referenced tests • Performance-based assessments • Career/vocational interests/skills inventories

28 Chapter Two

• Situational assessments for transition, such as work experience education

• Independent living skills assessment • Assistive technology assessments • Gathering of other appropriate information, such as grades,

portfolios, and so forth

The nature of hearing loss and the linguistic differences of many deaf and hard of hearing students affect the administration and scoring of most assessment tools. Very few instruments have been standardized for the deaf and hard of hearing populations. Therefore, assessors need to decide whether to use a standardized instrument in a nonstandardized situation, to modify standardized instruments developed for hearing populations in order to acquire information, or to use instruments that have been modified and standardized for the deaf or hard of hearing populations. The use of nonverbal instructions and modifications typically violates standardized procedures, but the appropriate interpretation of assessment data under these conditions justifies the use of modifications. Modifications may include but are not limited to using a different mode of communication (e.g., sign language or Cued Speech), using a different method of presenting the test (e.g., written, oral, or demonstration), and rephrasing questions.

When a standardized test, even with accommodations or modifications, is determined by the IEP team to be invalid for a specific student, alternative assessments are to be used, as specified in the IEP and the assessment plan. The results of the alternative assessments are to be included in the assessment report.

Persons Conducting the Assessment


The assessment of deaf and hard of hearing students is conducted by assessment personnel

hard of hearing students.

who understand the unique nature of hearing loss and are specifically trained to work with deaf and

The assessment of deaf and hard of hearing students, including those with multiple disabilities, must be conducted by persons who are knowledgeable about deafness and hearing loss, are skilled in administering the assessment tools, are

Assessment of Unique Needs 29

skilled in interpreting the results to ensure nondiscriminatory testing, and have the requisite communication skills. The parents perform a vital role in providing information to the assessment team. Assessors may include the following personnel, as appropriate:

• Teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students • Psychologist • Audiologist • Language, speech, and hearing specialist • American Sign Language (ASL) specialist • Reading specialist • Math specialist • General education teacher • Early childhood special education specialist • Parents • Guidance counselor • Career/vocational counselor • Medical doctor • Occupational therapist • Physical therapist • Adapted physical education specialist • Counselor • Nurse

Assessment of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Infants and Toddlers


The assessment of infants and toddlers suspected of having a hearing loss is conducted by qualified

personnel knowledgeable about deafness. The assessment includes evaluation of cognitive development, physical and motor development, communication development, social/ emotional development, and adaptive development.

The evaluation of infants and toddlers includes:

Health: The overall physical health of the child, including nutrition and growth, and medical history

Vision: The visual functioning, including visual tracking

Hearing: The ability to hear sounds at different decibels and frequencies

30 Chapter Two

Cognitive development: The ability to explore surroundings, interact with the environment, solve problems, and demonstrate play skills

Motor development: Gross-motor skills (coordinated movement of large muscles, including orientation and mobility) and fine-motor skills (coordinated use of small muscles, including eye-hand coordination)

Communication/language development: The ability to correctly receive and understand verbal and nonverbal information and communicate wants and needs through oral language, signing, gesture, or alternative systems

Social/emotional development: The ability to adjust to surroundings and demonstrate interest in relationships and coping skills (including parent to child, child to parent, and child to child)

Adaptive/self-help development: The ability to care for self, including dressing, washing, and toileting

Areas That May Be Assessed


The assessment of students suspected of having a

disabilities. hearing loss includes all areas related to their

Those making the initial and subsequent assessments of a deaf or hard of hearing student should consider assessment in the following areas:

Audiological Assessment

An audiological assessment should provide necessary information regarding the integrity of the structures of the ear, hearing ability for pure tones and speech, appropriate functional gain for amplification, and specifics related to overcoming the effects of hearing loss in the classroom. Audiological assessment should include evaluation under ideal testing conditions and under classroom conditions. The following areas may be included in the assessment:

• Developmental and medical history • Otoscopic examination • Immittance audiometry, including static immittance, physi

cal volume, tympanometry, and acoustic reflex


• Pure tone air/bone conduction thresholds (unaided and aided)

• Speech reception thresholds • Word recognition/speech discrimination (in quiet and in

noise) • Tests of auditory comprehension • Site of lesion specialty tests • Automatic brainstem response • Otoacoustic emissions • Ear mold fitting • Electroacoustic analysis of hearing aids • Electroacoustic analysis of hearing aids coupled to FM

systems • Functional interpretation of the audiogram

Recommendations may include:

Referral to outside agencies or medical personnel Appropriate amplification, including specialized equipment needs Environmental accommodations Educational goals and objectives

It is recommended that deaf and hard of hearing students be given audiological assessments at the following intervals:

Birth to three years: At birth or before initial IFSP and every six months thereafter (required by law before initial IFSP and before transition to preschool)

Four through twelve years: Once a year (required by law at time of transition to kindergarten or first grade and every three years thereafter)

Thirteen through twenty-one years: Every two years (required by law every three years)

Communication/Language Skills Assessment

An assessment of the communication and language skills of deaf and hard of hearing children, including those with multiple disabilities, is to be conducted by a teacher or specialist who is proficient in the child’s language and language mode. The assessor must be skilled in identifying, using, and analyzing the child’s language and language mode, which may include the use of sign language to send

32 Chapter Two

and receive messages or the use of spoken language, with or without visual signs or cues.

The assessment of language competence affects all other areas that are assessed. It is done for the purpose of determining whether or not the child has age-appropriate communication and language skills. Formal tests and methods in language assessment are clinical tools that can compare the student’s performance with a set of norms; however, they are limited and may describe only one facet of language. Alternative forms of assessment, such as language sampling, can provide useful diagnostic information regarding a student’s language competence.

A language assessment (signed, spoken, or written) should be a comprehensive assessment of language skills in all the following areas:

Semantics: Includes vocabulary mastery, multiple meanings, and basic concepts, both receptively and expressively (Semantics may also include situational concepts and contexts.)

Syntax: Includes receptive and expressive abilities in the use of word order and morphemes to create grammatically correct sentences

Morphology: Includes receptive and expressive abilities to use affixes and inflections to change the meanings of spoken words or signs (e.g., to pluralize, to show verb tense, or to show intensity or duration)

Pragmatics: Includes the ability to use language for interpersonal communicative purposes (e.g., turn-taking skills, use of language to express needs, use of language to influence another’s behavior, or use of language to refer to experiences out of immediate context)

Assessment of Manual Communication

For a student who uses sign language or a sign system, an assessment of the student’s manual communication leads to the development of a more effective instructional program. Forms of manual communication may include but are not limited to:

American Sign Language (ASL): A natural language with its own grammatical structure

Manually coded English (MCE): Any sign system that employs English-language syntax, with varying decisions on denotation for morphemic units and sign configuration

The assessment of language competence affects all other

sessed. It is done for the purpose of determining whether or not the child has age-

cation and language skills.

areas that are as

appropriate communi


For a deaf or hard of hearing

student who uses speech, a spoken communication assessment includes an assessment of the

speech and speech-

communicate orally in English or in combination with signs or with Cued Speech.

student’s ability to use

reading skills to

Finger spelling: The use of 26 hand shapes that correspond to the 26 letters of the alphabet

The assessment of manual communication skills includes the testing and gathering of information in the following areas:

• Visual and motor capabilities • An analysis and description of the sign language or sign

system the child uses • Semantic and grammatical accuracy pertinent to the sign

language or sign system used (e.g., ASL or MCE) • Pragmatics

Assessment of Spoken Communication

For a deaf or hard of hearing student who uses speech, a spoken communication assessment includes an assessment of the student’s ability to use speech and speechreading skills to communicate orally in English or in combination with signs or with Cued Speech.

An assessment of speech production includes the testing and gathering of information in the following areas:

• Phonological assessment: Voice, manner, placement, syllabication, stimulability, and reception of speech sounds

• Prosodic features: Intonation, pitch, rhythm, and stress • Voice quality, such as nasality • Intelligibility of connected speech • Semantic and grammatical accuracy • Pragmatics

The assessment of receptive skills may include gathering information in the following areas:

• Ability to attend to the speaker and to sustain attention over time

• Ability to perceive speech sounds or elements • Ability to put words and phrases in meaningful context • Ability to reorder initial perceptions as meaning becomes

evident

The deaf or hard of hearing child’s performance on the spoken communication assessments provides information regarding the child’s ability to benefit from amplification or other assistive listening technology and indicates whether the child needs the added support of sign, Cued Speech,

34 Chapter Two

vibrotactile techniques, or a combination of supports. This assessment may also include an informal assessment of the child’s ability to care for and maintain his or her hearing aids or other assistive listening device.

Assessment of Written Language

While written language is typically considered an academic skill, for a deaf or hard of hearing child a written language assessment can provide useful diagnostic information regarding the student’s English-language proficiency. Formal, standardized assessments of written English are available. Informal assessment and analysis of written language samples can also provide useful information for educational planning.

Assessment of Telecommunication Skills

When appropriate, the communication skills assessment should include an informal assessment of the student’s ability to use telecommunications, as follows:

• Ability to use the telephone with or without amplification • Ability to use the telephone with a TTY (telecommunica

tion device for the deaf) • Ability to access and use the California Relay Service • Ability to use a fax machine • Ability to use e-mail

The results of this informal assessment should be used to develop IEP goals and objectives related to the use of telecommunications.

Preacademic Skills Assessment

For educational planning for young deaf and hard of hearing children, a thorough assessment of the student’s currently measurable preacademic skills is important. This assessment is to be done by a teacher or other professional who is knowledgeable of early childhood education as well as hearing loss and who is proficient in the child’s language and language mode. For preacademic children, an assessment of readiness skills (e.g., visual discrimination skills, identification of letters and numbers, identification of body parts, matching, sorting, basic concepts) is important for developing IEP goals and objectives and for determining when the child is ready to begin academic instruction.

For educational planning for young

deaf and hard of

important.

hearing children, a thorough assessment of the student’s currently measurable preacademic skills is


Academic Skills Assessment

Academic assessment should provide information regarding the student’s present level of functioning in at least the following areas, as noted in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Educational Service Guidelines (1994):

• Math computation and application in all contexts (e.g., measurement, money, time, etc.);

• Reading comprehension (e.g., words, phrases, sentences, passages, literal/inferential skills);

• Style of decoding (i.e., phonetic-acoustic versus visual decoding);

• Reading in real world versus reduced context situations; • Reading preferences, including time spent reading inde

pendently; • Written English literacy, including word use, knowledge

conveyed, structure, and cohesiveness; • Writing for specific purposes (e.g., messages, discourse,

persuasion, narration, etc.); and • Spelling and penmanship.

Standardized assessments of academic achievement may provide information regarding the student’s achievement in comparison with that of hearing peers. A few academic tests have been normed on deaf and hard of hearing populations. Whether one uses instruments normed on hearing or on deaf and hard of hearing populations, it is important to consider the assessment results in conjunction with other assessment information (e.g., criterion-referenced assessment, portfolio assessment) when developing the individualized education program.

In addition to taking part in academic achievement testing for initial and triennial assessment, deaf and hard of hearing students will participate in all statewide and local assessment programs.

Motor Skills Assessment

The assessment of motor skills may be especially significant for deaf and hard of hearing students. Etiologies such as meningitis, rubella, and neurologically based deafness may result in vestibular damage affecting an individual’s equilibrium, body awareness, and visual-motor functioning. If a student is referred for additional motor assessment, it should be conducted by a qualified adapted physical education

36 Chapter Two

specialist or an occupational or physical therapist. Areas to be assessed may include fine- and gross-motor skills.

Psychological Assessment

The purpose of a psychological assessment is to collect data that indicate the performance ability of a deaf or hard of hearing student and to make recommendations that will lead to optimal learning. Psychological assessment should be conducted by a qualified professional who is proficient in the student’s language and language mode. A student should receive a psychological assessment as part of the initial assessment process and should be reassessed on a triennial basis to provide indicators of learning potential, including strengths, areas of need, and recommendations for an optimal learning focus.

A student who is believed to be gifted or talented should be referred for a psychological assessment. Assessment personnel may need to consider ongoing evaluation in addition to a psychological assessment if limiting factors (such as no formal schooling or significant cultural differences) suggest a need for long-term diagnostic assessment.

The areas of psychological assessment include developmental skills, social/emotional maturity, intelligence, visual perception, and adaptive behavior.

The developmental skills assessment should include information regarding the student’s family and medical history and provide information in specific areas of functioning.

Social/emotional maturity should be a major component of the assessment process for a deaf or hard of hearing student. Communication problems that result from lack of access to meaningful language contribute toward the development of a child’s personality and social/emotional adjustment. Emotional factors have a direct influence on the learning behavior of any child. Social/emotional evaluations examine a student’s self-image, social or interpersonal adjustment, emotional adjustment, and life-style expectations.

A test of intellectual functioning should be conducted at the time of initial assessment and may be conducted as part of the triennial assessment if deemed appropriate by the assessment team. Areas evaluated may include memory, analogous reasoning, sequencing ability, categorical thinking, practical judgment, visual alertness, concentration ability, spatial reasoning, concept formation, problem solving, visualization,

The purpose of a psychological

assessment is to collect data that indicate the performance ability of a deaf or hard of hearing student and to

that will lead to optimal learning.

make recommendations


Deaf and hard of hearing students

in secondary schools

with an individual

assessment.

should be provided

career/vocational

visual rote learning and recall, cognitive association, critical analysis, estimation, and specific skills.

Assessment of visual perceptual skills is of great significance for a student with a hearing loss who relies heavily on the visual channel for communication. Early identification of areas of weakness is important. Areas to be evaluated include visual discrimination, visual memory, visual-motor integration, visual figure-ground, visual closure, spatial relations, indications of reversals, simplifications, and complications with presented material.

Assessment of adaptive behavior may be used for very young deaf or hard of hearing children, for multidisabled deaf or hard of hearing children, or for a specific area assessment for any child with a hearing loss. Areas evaluated may include self-help skills, independent functioning, daily living skills, and communication/social skills.

Career/Vocational Assessment

Deaf and hard of hearing students in secondary schools should be provided with an individual career/vocational assessment. Career/vocational assessments may include but are not limited to interest inventories, assessment of prevocational skills, tests of physical dexterity, work samples, observations, and interviews. Career/vocational education specialists should provide the assessments, interpret the results, provide information in a written report, and provide recommendations for the development of the individualized transition plan (ITP). The ITP is a required component of the IEP for every student fourteen years of age or older and may be deemed appropriate for students younger than fourteen. The career/vocational specialist is responsible for assisting the staff in implementing the career and vocational components of the IEP and the ITP.

The Department of Rehabilitation has a statewide network of specially trained Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Schools may have service agreements with this department for the referral of students sixteen years or older to determine their eligibility and to perform other agreed-on activities for vocational assessments.

Many community colleges and adult vocational training centers may also be used as a resource for assessment and career/vocational information.

38 Chapter Two

Tests Administered in the Primary Language and Preferred Language Mode


of communication.

Tests are provided and administered in the student’s primary language and preferred mode

When an assessment plan is being developed, the special language needs of deaf and hard of hearing students should be recognized. When the student has a primary and preferred language (including American Sign Language) other than English, assessments should be conducted in that language. The deaf or hard of hearing student’s preferred language mode, which may be signed or spoken (with or without the support of signs or cues), should be respected and utilized when assessing the student.

Specialized Services, Materials, and Equipment


hearing loss, including needs for specialized services, materials and equipment, and accommoda

The assessment report identifies the unique educational needs of the student related to the

tions in the educational environment.

As the assessment report identifies the unique educational needs of the student, the IEP team must identify whether the student needs any specialized services (e.g., sign language interpreting, oral or Cued Speech transliteration, note-tak-ing, real-time captioning), materials and equipment (e.g., assistive listening device, closed-captioned television, telecommunication device for the deaf, amplified telephone, captioned videos, specialized curriculum), and accommodations in the educational environment (e.g., acoustically appropriate classroom, preferential seating, lighting) in order for the student to have equal educational access and meet the expected goals and objectives.


California Assessment Centers for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing


the Northern or Southern California Assessment Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, when

Deaf and hard of hearing students are referred to

appropriate.

Local educational agencies may refer deaf and hard of hearing students to the Northern California Assessment Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (located on the campus of the California School for the Deaf, Fremont) or the Southern California Assessment Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (located on the campus of the California School for the Deaf, Riverside).

The centers were established to assist local educational agencies by providing nonbiased testing of deaf and hard of hearing students in their major communication mode—sign language, oral communication, or a combination. Referrals to the centers may be made for a variety of reasons, including program placement concerns, concerns over lack of progress, behavioral problems, specific educational problems, or a need for further educational ideas.

At the centers a multidisciplinary team of professionals, knowledgeable in the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing students, conducts an intensive diagnostic study of the child over a period of one to five days. The team collects information through formal and informal testing, observation analysis, and parent interviews. At the end of the evaluation, the Assessment Center staff meets with the parents and school personnel to discuss the diagnostic findings and to outline an educational program based on the student’s identified strengths and weaknesses. The Assessment Center conducts the assessment to assist the local educational agency with educational planning for individual students but does not recommend specific program placement.

Examples of assessment tools commonly used with deaf and hard of hearing students may be found in Appendix B.

40 Chapter Two

Chapter Three

hearing students

nity for communication

access.

for Student Learning

Deaf and hard of

benefit from programs

that strongly support and

provide for equal opportu

Organization


Central Role of Communication Access and Emphasis on Student Achievement in Program Planning


students has a clear statement of purpose,

for communication access.

The program for deaf and hard of hearing

including expected student learning results. The statement addresses the critical need for equal opportunity

An essential element of systematic program improvement is a clear statement of purpose. To ensure the statement truly guides the program, it must be developed as a result of wide community participation and reflect a consensus of all stakeholder groups. The statement provides the program’s foundation for establishing expected programwide learning results. These learning results specify the knowledge, skills, and understandings students should possess on exiting from the program and serve as the basis for the development of content and performance standards. The statement of purpose must refer to the vital role of communication in the development and education of deaf and hard of hearing children.


education of deaf and hard of hearing students. That policy includes the following elements:

• •

ment and communication access, which means a critical

• • Recognition of the unique cultural and linguistic needs of

The program has a written policy on the central role of communication in the development and

Appropriate, early, and ongoing communication assessment Appropriate, early, and ongoing communication develop

mass of age and language peers and staff proficient in the child’s communication mode Recognition of the unique nature of hearing loss

deaf children

42 Chapter Three

• Assurance that each child will have access to communica-tion-related services (including qualified sign and oral interpreters, Cued Speech transliteration, electronic note-taking, and assistive listening devices) and extracurricular activities



• Assurance that sign language instruction is provided on acontinuing basis to deaf students and their families

• Assurance that the communication and language needs ofdeaf and hard of hearing students who rely on auditory/verbal or oral/aural language are fully provided for

• Assurance that the individualized education program (IEP) team, as required by law, determines placement based on the identified and essential communication needs of the child

The effective development, reception, and expression of language are fundamental to any educational experience and are particularly crucial for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Communication and educational growth are dependent on a language-rich environment, one with ongoing, direct, and age-appropriate language opportunities.

Deaf and hard of hearing children are distinct from all other children because of their unique communication needs. While they may have effective modes of communication, deaf and hard of hearing children often do not have the opportunity for direct communication with others. This distinction is fundamental and separates deaf and hard of hearing children from others in the educational world.

Deaf and hard of

of their unique communication needs. While they may have effective modes of communication, deaf and hard of

do not have the oppor

communication with others.

hearing children are distinct from all other children because

hearing children often

tunity for direct

Organization for Student Learning 43


The governing authority and the superintendent

purpose and these guidelines. The policies support

students. The governing authority delegates implementation of

adopt policies that are consistent with the program

the achievement of the expected schoolwide learning results for

these policies to the professional staff and monitors results.

Effective governance calls for policies that require programs to have a clear statement of purpose and a statement of expected learning results for students. County and district school boards and school superintendents recognize the central role of communication access for deaf and hard of hearing students by developing and adopting policies that support and are consistent with the recommendations of these guidelines. Those policies include a commitment to increased student achievement through the development of content and performance standards and a system of assessment and accountability. The implementation of these policies is delegated to the professional staff. These policies should be incorporated into the Local Plan for Special Education, and implementation of the recommendations of these guidelines should be a part of state and local compliance and quality reviews, pursuant to Education Code Section 56836.04.

Continuum of Options Through Regionalization


Deaf and Hard of Hearing Unit in the State Special

ment of Rehabilitation, institutions of higher education, and

The program provides access to a full continuum of placement, program, service, and communica

tion options. The program collaborates with the

Schools Division, other programs for deaf and hard of hearing students in the region, the State Special Schools, the Depart

other agencies to ensure provision of appropriate services.

Deaf and hard of hearing students represent a low-incidence disability population with unique and varied needs. To ensure an appropriate education for these students, the program must provide access to a full continuum of placement, program, service, and communication options.

44 Chapter Three

The placement and services continuum will include but not be limited to:

• Regional programs, which provide the critical mass of age-appropriate and language-appropriate peers and opportunities for direct instruction and direct communication with staff and peers

• State special schools for the deaf • General education placements with the necessary related

and support services, such as itinerant teachers credentialed in deaf and hard of hearing education, interpreters, assistive listening technology, and so forth

• Special day classes and resource specialist programs, as required by federal and state law, which may include reverse mainstreaming, partial mainstreaming, and team-teaching opportunities

• Nonpublic schools, home instruction, hospital instruction, and other institutions as required by federal and state law

The selection of a particular program option is determined by the unique communication access and other needs of each deaf or hard of hearing child. The individualized education program (IEP) team is responsible for making the decision regarding the placement of a student in a program and for determining the related services necessary to meet the unique, identified needs of that student. When determining the most appropriate placement for an individual student, the IEP team should consider the following options:

General Education Program

For some deaf or hard of hearing students, the general education classroom with modifications may be the most appropriate placement. Some deaf or hard of hearing students may be best served at their neighborhood schools; others may be better served in a general education class on a campus where a regionalized deaf and hard of hearing program is housed.

Deaf and hard of hearing students may need special materials, equipment, seating, and services. Factors to consider when mainstreaming a student include the following:

• Will the student have full communication access in the classroom? Is the student able to receive and express language through speech, speechreading, or audition sufficiently well to have access to all information presented in the classroom? If not, is the student able to sufficiently access information through the use of supplementary

Effective governance calls for

statement of purpose and a statement of expected learning

policies that require programs to have a clear

results for students.


services (e.g., sign language interpreting, oral or Cued Speech transliteration, real-time captioning, note-taking)?

• Is a credentialed itinerant teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students available to provide ongoing direct and consultative services as necessary?

• Are qualified interpreters/transliterators available for both classroom and extracurricular activities?

• Does the general education class enrollment allow the teacher an opportunity to devote some of his or her time to assist the deaf or hard of hearing student to meet the classroom or course requirements?

• Is the student’s social and emotional maturity level within the average range of the students in the regular classroom?

• Is the student able to direct his or her attention to the assigned work and follow the directions he or she is given for doing the work?

• Is the student’s reading level at the approximate level of the general education class in which he or she is to be enrolled?

• Have environmental factors, such as lighting, ambient noise, classroom location, and visual emergency warning devices, been considered?

General Education Co-Enrollment Model

Some programs for deaf and hard of hearing students offer a co-enrollment model. In this model deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students are co-enrolled in a classroom that utilizes general education curriculum. The co-enrolled class is co-taught by a general education teacher and a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students. In a co-enrollment classroom both the general education teacher and the teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing should be proficient in communicating with deaf and hard of hearing students in their primary language and preferred mode of communication.

Resource Specialist Program

A deaf or hard of hearing student who requires minimal specialized instruction individually or in a small group may benefit from the resource specialist program (RSP). Ongoing consultation services from an itinerant teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students must be provided to the RSP teacher. Direct services by the itinerant teacher of the deaf or designated instructional services (DIS) (e.g., speech and

46 Chapter Three

language services) or both may be provided in conjunction with RSP services.

Special Day Class

Deaf and hard of hearing students with needs for intensive services in communication, social, and academic skills should be considered for enrollment in a special day class for deaf and hard of hearing students for all or part of the school day. Special day classes provided within a regionalized program can provide deaf and hard of hearing students with a sufficient number of age-appropriate language mode peers and with direct access to teachers and other professionals/ paraprofessionals who are proficient in their language and language mode. In a special day class, direct instruction that emphasizes communication skills development, language acquisition, concept development, and development of academic skills using core and specialized curriculum is provided by a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students in coordination with other appropriate specialists. Some deaf and hard of hearing students may benefit by participating in general education classes in selected academic subject areas or nonacademic areas, or both, as appropriate.

The size of the geographic area served by a regional special day class program should be determined by the accessibility of the schools in which the program for deaf and hard of hearing students is maintained, as described in a comprehensive regional program plan. Transportation within a reasonable time and distance should be arranged as suitable to the well-being and safety of the students. In general, students should not spend more than one hour in travel time from home to school or from school to home. The bus driver or responsible adult should be able to communicate with the students on the bus.

State Special Schools

The California Department of Education operates two state special schools (the California School for the Deaf, Fremont, and the California School for the Deaf, Riverside) for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Students should be considered for enrollment in one of the state special schools when local school districts or special education local plan areas (SELPAs) do not have enough students to provide a comprehensive program or when the needs of the student require specialized instruction and support services beyond

Special day classes

and hard of hearing students with a sufficient number of age-

mode peers and with

language and language mode.

can provide deaf

appropriate language

direct access to teachers and other professionals/ paraprofessionals who are proficient in their


commitment and

factors in the success of a deaf or hard of

less of the communica

must be actively involved in the deci

communication option for their child.

Because parental

involvement are key

hearing child, regard

tion mode, parents

sion regarding the most appropriate

that which can be reasonably provided in the local school programs. Factors to consider when considering state special school placement are:

• Is the local plan area unable to reasonably provide appropriate services?

• Is the incidence of deaf and hard of hearing students in the local plan area too small to provide a comprehensive program, including a sufficient number of age-appropriate language mode peers?

• Would travel time or distance to the nearest regional program be excessive?

Nonpublic Schools and Agencies

The IEP team may determine that a nonpublic school or agency is the most appropriate program option when a public agency cannot meet a student’s needs, as identified by the IEP team.

Communication Options

When a child is identified as deaf or hard of hearing, professionals are responsible for providing the parents with nonbiased, research-based information regarding the communication options that may be used with deaf and hard of hearing children. Because parental commitment and involvement are key factors in the success of a deaf or hard of hearing child, regardless of the communication mode, parents must be actively involved in the decision regarding the most appropriate communication option for their child. The school staff is responsible for providing parents with information that will empower them to participate as equal members of the IFSP/IEP team in determining the communication option that is most appropriate to the needs of their child and their family. The school staff is also responsible for providing parent education so that parents can develop the knowledge and skills they need to be able to provide their child with a rich linguistic environment in the home.

The continuum of language/communication method options will include:

• American Sign Language (ASL) • Auditory-verbal • Bilingual-bicultural (Bi-Bi) • Cued Speech • Manually coded English (MCE)

48 Chapter Three

• Oral-aural • Simultaneous communication (Sim Com) • Tactile communication • Total communication

American Sign Language. American Sign Language (ASL) is the sign language most commonly used in the North American Deaf community. ASL is a rich and complex visual-gestural language, with a grammatical structure independent of English. ASL may be used in a total communication program or in a bilingual/bicultural program.

Auditory-verbal. The auditory-verbal approach stresses the use of appropriate amplification to teach children to listen, process spoken language, and speak without the use of signs, cues, speechreading, or other visual cues.

Bilingual-bicultural (Bi-Bi). Bi-Bi is an educational method and philosophy emphasizing Deaf culture and involving the use of American Sign Language as the primary language of deaf and hard of hearing children. English is taught as a second language, with the goal that the student become fluent in both ASL and English.

Cued Speech. Cued Speech is a visual communication system which uses eight handshapes in four locations (“cues”) in combination with the natural mouth movements of speech to make all the sounds of spoken language look different. Cued Speech is generally considered an oral option, but Cued Speech may also be used in total communication or bilingual/bicultural programs.

Manually coded English. Manually coded English (MCE) includes a number of different signing systems in which finger spelling and American Sign Language signs are used in English word order. Signs are created for words for which there are no ASL equivalents, and for English suffixes and prefixes, in order to represent the vocabulary and grammatical structure of spoken English as explicitly as possible.

Oral-aural. The oral-aural approach encourages the use of the child’s residual hearing (augmented by appropriate amplification) to develop spoken language skills. While signs and finger spelling are not used in oral/aural programs, children are encouraged to use speechreading (lip movements and facial expression) in learning to understand and use connected speech.


Simultaneous communication (Sim Com). The simultaneous use of spoken English and manually coded English.

Tactile communication. Tactile communication includes the ability to access language through touch. Some examples of tactile communication are finger spelling into the hand, Braille, and Tadoma (tactile speechreading).

Total communication. Total communication is a philosophy that encourages equally the development and use of speech, speechreading, sign language and finger spelling, and written language. In most total communication programs, a form of manually coded English is used so that speech and sign may be used simultaneously. American Sign Language or Cued Speech or both are also used in some total communication programs.

Regionalization


serve deaf and hard of hearing students.

Programs and services should be provided through regionalization to more effectively

Deaf and hard of hearing children, like all children, need to be in educational settings in which there is a sufficient number of age and language peers, or “critical mass.” The establishment of regions recognizes the low incidence of deaf and hard of hearing children and provides placement options that will bring together a sufficient number of age and language peers. As defined by the Conference of Educational Administrators Serving the Deaf (CEASD), a critical mass is composed of a minimum of 40 students at the elementary level and 150 students at the secondary level. These numbers are goals to be considered and are not absolute requirements for the establishment of regional programs.

Those deaf and hard of hearing students who do not attend regional programs can benefit if the special education services they require are provided through the regional program and if the staff is supervised by the regional program coordinator. Provision of services in a regional manner can help ensure consistent quality of services and of service delivery and can ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students in placements other than regional programs are served by appropriately qualified staff.

50 Chapter Three

gramming supported by the California Department of Edu

Special Education (NASDSE), and the Commission on

of personnel, less duplication of services, and better use of

• training

• Responsibility for the design, implementation, and man

• • •

•

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students with Multiple Disabilities


deaf and hard of hearing students with multiple disabilities.

Tof hearing students with multiple handicaps, ensuring:

• •

•

varied and complex that they should be dealt with on an

Deaf and hard of

to be in educational

is a sufficient number of age and language peers, or “critical mass.”

Regionalization represents the kind of comprehensive pro

cation and the California Legislature and recommended by CEASD, the National Association of State Directors of

Education of the Deaf (COED). The development of regionalized programs and services encourages effective use

limited resources in order to ensure:

Cost-effective and appropriate staff development and

agement of regionalized programs by individuals who are trained in deaf and hard of hearing education and are knowledgeable about deaf and hard of hearing students Provision and coordination of appropriate, quality services Appropriate assessment and early intervention procedures Parental involvement and appropriate training programs for parents Formation of peer groups, including hearing peers

Provision is made for appropriate services for

he program provides appropriate services for deaf and hard

Equal access to quality programs and services Services from professionals with expertise not only in the area of deaf and hard of hearing education but also in areas of suspected or identified disabilities Regionalized services where local programs cannot provide appropriate services

The unique needs resulting from multiple disabilities are so

individual basis through a collaborative effort among parents, educators, and other service providers.

hearing children, like all children, need

settings in which there


Regional Program Coordinator/Director


enced educator of deaf and hard of hearing stu

has the skills necessary for facilitating participation of staff,

The program coordinator/director is an experi

dents, with skills to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students are provided with appropriate in

struction and designated services. The program coordinator

parents, and the deaf and hard of hearing community in program development.

The regional program for serving deaf and hard of hearing students should have the services of a regional program coordinator or director who is a trained educator of deaf and hard of hearing students as well as a credentialed school administrator. This person is responsible for implementing California Education Code requirements and for coordinating and supervising all educational services for deaf and hard of hearing students within the geographical region. In addition, this person is responsible for ensuring that programs are coordinated with other public and private agencies, including preschools, child development programs, nonpublic nonsectarian schools, regional occupational centers and programs, postsecondary programs, adult programs for individuals with exceptional needs, and other community resources.

Those who are employing and assigning a regional program coordinator or director should consider the following: number of credentialed teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, travel distance, number of sites, number of classes, amount of time for evaluation of teachers and other staff, and composition of the program. The regional program coordinator or director has a number of responsibilities that may include:

• Developing and implementing child find and screening procedures for the purpose of identifying students who may have hearing loss

• Ensuring that appropriate assessment procedures and personnel are used in the assessment of deaf and hard of hearing students

• Coordinating appropriate personnel (e.g., teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students, speech and language specialists, psychologists, interpreters) to provide direct and indirect services to deaf and hard of hearing students

52 Chapter Three

• Evaluating staff employed in the deaf and hard of hearing program

• Providing specialized training and staff development to parents, administrators, teachers, support staff, and instructional assistants regarding the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing students

• Ensuring that a full continuum of services, program options, and specialized equipment and material is available to deaf and hard of hearing students

• Establishing and coordinating a regional advisory committee composed of parents, deaf and hard of hearing consumers, and professionals

• Having the role of advocate for programs serving deaf and hard of hearing students

• Ensuring that resources are effectively allocated and utilized within the deaf and hard of hearing program

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Staff Roles and Responsibilities


administrators, who have the skills necessary to

educational needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. Skills

communication, knowledge of accommodations necessary to

maintenance of assistive listening devices.

Each program provides qualified professional and paraprofessional personnel, including

provide instruction and services that meet the

must include proficiency in the student’s primary mode of

meet the student’s needs, and knowledge of selection, use, and

All deaf and hard of hearing students must receive instruction and services from qualified professional and paraprofessional personnel who have the skills and abilities to meet their needs as identified in the IEP. According to the National Association of State Directors of Special Education’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Educational Service Guidelines (1994):

All individuals, whether teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, or others, should demonstrate competency in all areas of knowledge and skills listed below:

– Ability to communicate proficiently with individuals whoare deaf and hard of hearing;


All deaf and hard of hearing

instruction and ser

personnel who have the skills and abilities to meet their needs as

students must receive

vices from qualified professional and paraprofessional

identified in the IEP.

– Knowledge of principles of child growth and development with emphasis on age/developmentally appropriate practice;

– Knowledge of the impact of hearing loss on sociocultural, linguistic, and educational development;

– Knowledge of the interrelationships of family, environment, culture, community, and language;

– Knowledge of Deaf culture, history, literature, and folklore; – Knowledge of language development and use; – Knowledge of multicultural interactions and learning charac

teristics; – Ability to utilize adults who are deaf and hard of hearing as a

resource for students, families, and professional staff; – Ability to promote high expectations and positive self-esteem; – Knowledge of learning styles and characteristics of learners; – Ability to use interpreters, transliterators, and foreign lan

guage interpreters; – Ability to work effectively as a member of an interdiscipli

nary team; – Ability to develop and implement an individualized program

plan (IEP/IFSP) in a given area of expertise; – Ability to provide consultation and support to parents/

caregivers and school personnel; – Ability to utilize resources essential for implementation

of the educational program for students; – Knowledge of assessment procedures for providing appropri

ate services; – Knowledge of adaptations of physical environments to meet

auditory/visual needs; – Knowledge of amplification, assistive listening, and augmen

tative communication devices; – Knowledge of assistive devices (telecommunication devices

for the deaf, decoders, vibrotactile devices); – Ability to implement techniques for facilitating the develop

ment of speech and spoken language including but not limited to speechreading and auditory training;

– Knowledge of signing varieties that include features of both English and ASL;

– Knowledge of the Cued Speech system; – Ability to provide for one’s own professional growth; – Knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations pertain

ing to the education and provision of services for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing;

– Knowledge of postsecondary educational and vocational options for students who are deaf and hard of hearing; and,

54 Chapter Three

– Knowledge of resources (local, state, national) for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families.

The roles and responsibilities of those who provide services to deaf and hard of hearing students are examined below:

Program Specialist

The program specialist should be a credentialed, experienced educator of deaf and hard of hearing students. The program specialist has a variety of responsibilities that include:

• Community awareness/education • Monitoring of assessment procedures • Classroom observations • Consultation with teachers, parents, administrators, and

support staff • Assessment of program needs • Staff development • Coordination of specialized equipment and materials • Assistance to regional coordinator regarding staff

evaluations • Monitoring of compliance • Supervision of staff members assigned to the deaf and

hard of hearing program to ensure that appropriate curriculum and instruction are being provided

• Involvement of parents and deaf and hard of hearing individuals in program development

Site Administrator

If the site administrator has professional certification in the area of deafness, he or she may assume the responsibilities of the program specialist. However, if the site administrator has little background or expertise in the area of deafness, he or she should follow the guidelines contained in this publication. Consultation should be sought from and provided by the program coordinator and program specialist, who will assist the site administrator with practical applications for the guidelines. Although the site administrator is often the direct supervisor, evaluator, and implementor of administrative policies, it is critical that the program coordinator and program specialist provide technical assistance to the site administrator. Technical assistance includes sharing classroom observations and recommendations regarding teachers’ evaluations (including assessment of teachers’ sign language


proficiency and knowledge and expertise in the delivery of specialized instruction), making appropriate suggestions for staff development, making recommendations for appropriate modifications to facilities, and ensuring that deaf and hard of hearing students have full and equal access to all school-related activities, including extracurricular athletic and social activities.

Resource Specialist

Some programs for deaf and hard of hearing students may employ a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing as a resource specialist. The resource specialist should provide diagnostic evaluations and assist in writing educational goals and objectives that focus on the child’s individual needs. This person should be available to provide individual or small-group instruction in the student’s identified areas of need. The resource specialist should have the appropriate credential and competencies to educate children who are deaf or hard of hearing, including proficiency in the child’s language and language mode.

Some deaf and hard of hearing children may be served by resource specialists who are not teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. In this case, the resource specialist should have the ongoing monitoring and support of an appropriately credentialed teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students.

Instructional Aide

The special education instructional aide, working under the supervision of a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students, can be a vital link in the educational program for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing. Instructional aides must be skilled and demonstrate proficiency in communicating with deaf and hard of hearing students in the students’ preferred language and language mode. Under the supervision of the teacher, the instructional assistant provides tutoring and reinforcement of instruction as outlined in each student’s individualized education program (IEP).

General Education or Special Education Teacher

General education teachers or special education teachers (other than teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students) may have a deaf or hard of hearing student enrolled in their classroom for all or part of the day. Typical responsibilities of the general or special education teacher include:

56 Chapter Three

• Providing instruction with appropriate modifications or accommodations, as specified in the student’s IEP

• Participating as a member of the student’s IEP team • Evaluating the student’s progress, providing grades for the

student’s report card, and providing advice to the IEP team regarding the student’s progress toward IEP goals and objectives

• Participating in preservice and in-service training regarding the unique needs of students with hearing loss

• Collaborating with support staff (e.g., itinerant deaf and hard of hearing teacher, speech and language specialist, interpreter)

• Demonstrating willingness to make necessary modifications and accommodations for the student as determined by the IEP team

Speech, Language, and Hearing Specialist

Language, speech, and hearing specialists who hold a Clinical Rehabilitative Services Credential and who have appropriate competencies to work with deaf and hard of hearing students provide diagnostic, instructional, and consultative services for students when the need is determined by the IEP team. The language, speech, and hearing specialist should respect and be able to proficiently communicate in the student’s primary language and preferred language mode.

Typical duties include but are not limited to:

• Providing assessment of spoken language, including speech production, speechreading, and listening skills

• Providing direct instruction in speech, speechreading, and listening skills

• Working in cooperation with the teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing in planning and implementing strategies that develop communication, language, and related academic skills

• Assisting school personnel and parents in enhancing students’ overall communication skills, including use of interpreters, communication through print, and other methods of communication the student may use

• Being knowledgeable in the use of technological devices to enhance speech and language instruction

Speech and oral language instruction and auditory training may be provided by either a speech, language, and hearing

The language, speech, and hearing

specialist should

primary language and

mode.

respect and be able to proficiently communi-cate in the student’s

preferred language


In working with deaf and

hard of hearing students, the educational audiologist

language and language mode of the students.

should respect and utilize the preferred

specialist or by an appropriately trained teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students. When a deaf or hard of hearing student has speech production issues not typically related to hearing loss (e.g., cleft palate), speech therapy should be provided by a speech and language specialist.

Audiologist

The audiologist’s reports and services are an integral part of the educational program for a student who is deaf or hard of hearing. The educational audiologist holds a Clinical Rehabilitative Services Credential or a California License in Audiology or both. “Although clinical diagnostic audiology services are essential in the schools, it is clear that educational audiology services also include planning and delivery of (re)habilitation services following diagnosis. Unique to educational audiology are skills such as analyzing instructional listening dynamics, recommending modifications for school environment or programs and educating school personnel and parents to make instruction accessible to students with hearing loss for their academic and social success” (Recommended Professional Practices for Educational Audiology 1997). In working with deaf and hard of hearing students, the educational audiologist should respect and utilize the preferred language and language mode of the students. According to the Guidelines for Audiology Services in the Schools (1993):

The audiologist is uniquely qualified to perform the following activities with children: – Provide community leadership to ensure that all infants,

toddlers, and youth with impaired hearing are promptly identified, evaluated, and provided with appropriate intervention services.

– Collaborate with community resources to develop a high-risk registry and follow-up.

– Develop and supervise a hearing screening program forpreschool and school-aged children.

– Train audiometric technicians or other appropriate personnel to screen for hearing loss.

– Perform follow-up comprehensive audiological evaluations. – Assess central auditory function. – Make appropriate referrals for further audiological, commu

nication, educational, psychosocial, or medical assessment. – Interpret audiological assessment results to other school

personnel.– Serve as a member of the educational team in the evaluation,

planning, and placement process, to make recommendations

58 Chapter Three

regarding placement, related service needs, and modification of classroom environments for students with hearing impairments or other auditory problems.

– Provide in-service training on hearing and hearing impairments and their implication to school personnel about hearing loss prevention.

– Make recommendations about the use of hearing aids, cochlear implants, group and classroom amplification, and assistive listening devices.

– Ensure the proper fit and functioning of hearing aids, cochlear implants, group and classroom amplification, andassistive listening devices.

– Analyze classroom noise and acoustics and make recommendations for improving the listening environment.

– Manage the use and calibration of audiometric equipment. – Collaborate with the school, parents, teachers, special sup

port personnel, and relevant community agencies and professionals to ensure delivery of appropriate services.

– Make recommendations for assistive devices (radio/televi-sion, telephone, alerting, convenience) for students with hearing impairment.

– Provide services, including home programming if appropriate, in the areas of speechreading, listening, communication strategies, use and care of amplification, including cochlear implants, and self-management of hearing needs.

Some of these responsibilities may be shared with the teacher of the deaf and the speech and language specialist. Because of the overlap in the training and skills of these professionals, it is imperative that the professionals work in close collaboration in order to provide team-based provision of services to deaf and hard of hearing children and their families.

Educational Interpreter

Deaf and hard of hearing children who are receiving education in the general education classroom may require the services of a sign language interpreter or an oral, sign, or Cued Speech transliterator to have access to and understand the instructional material presented by the teacher and class discussion involving other students.

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and the Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) have developed the “Model Standards for the Certification of Educational Interpreters for Deaf Students” (see Appendix C). Educational agencies that employ educational interpreters should


The skills of the educational

to the success of these students in

interpreter are vital

mainstream settings.

develop job descriptions and qualifications that reflect the recommended standards. According to the RID/CED standards, the educational interpreter serves “a variety of roles at different age/grade levels, and in different educational settings.” In addition, “Educational interpreters serve students with a variety of communication skills and styles. The skills of the educational interpreter are vital to the success of these students in mainstream settings.” To meet these varied needs, the standards recommend that educational interpreters should have receptive and expressive communication skills and proficiency in a variety of communication modes, including speech, speechreading, sign (American Sign Language, manually coded English, Pidgin Sign English), and Cued Speech, and should be skilled in one or more of the following:

1. Interpret from spoken English to American Sign Language and from American Sign Language to spoken English.

2. Transliterate from spoken English to Manually Coded English and from Manually Coded English to spoken English.

3. Transliterate from spoken English to Pidgin Sign English and from Pidgin Sign English to spoken English.

4. Orally transliterate from spoken English to visible English and from visible English to spoken English.

5. Cue from spoken English to Cued Speech and from CuedSpeech to spoken English.

Typical duties of interpreters/transliterators include:

• Interpreting/transliterating lectures, discussions, tests, films, assemblies, and so forth for students who are deaf and hard of hearing and who are mainstreamed into general education classes

• Assessing the student’s receptive and expressive language use and abilities and adjusting interpretive language to match the student’s preferred language and language mode and to ensure that the student comprehends the interpretation

• Interpreting for parent conferences, IEP meetings, and other school-sponsored activities as needed

• Providing tutoring and instructional support to students who are deaf and hard of hearing to assist them in general education classes

• Participating in educational team meetings and providing information on students’ use of interpreting services and proficiency in communication

60 Chapter Three

• Providing staff orientations on the use of an interpreter and teaching sign language to general education students and staff

• Improving knowledge and skill in interpreting through participation in workshops, in-service training, and sign classes and membership in professional organizations

• Maintaining confidentiality about students’ behavior and progress

Real-Time Captioner

For some deaf and hard of hearing students, real-time captioning or electronic note-taking can provide the most appropriate access to communication in the mainstream classroom. The real-time captioner uses specialized technology and equipment to provide the deaf or hard of hearing student with an immediate electronic printout of spoken communication in the classroom.

Note-taker

When deaf and hard of hearing students are mainstreamed in general education classes, they must attend to the teacher or interpreter to understand the instructional material presented. Thus, they are unable to take notes as do their hearing peers. However, with the aid of note-takers (whether paid or volunteer), classroom information can be recorded accurately and in a form conducive for study. Selection of note-takers should be based on criteria such as interest, ability to organize thoughts, and clarity of handwriting. The teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing should have the responsibility to provide the necessary training and materials for note-takers.

Adapted Physical Education Teacher

Qualified teachers of adapted physical education should provide diagnostic, rehabilitative, instructional, and consultative services for physical fitness and gross- and fine-motor development when the need is determined by the IEP team as a result of assessment. They should also provide instruction in the use of adaptive equipment that facilitates physical education skills. A teacher of adapted physical education should communicate with deaf and hard of hearing students in their primary language and preferred mode of communication or use an interpreter or transliterator in accordance with the student’s communication needs.


Responsibilities of the adapted physical education teacher include:

• Assessing the student’s motor skills • Making recommendations for IEP goals and objectives for

motor skills development • Providing instruction as outlined in the IEP

Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist

A registered occupational therapist provides therapy in sensory processing, visual-motor skills, fine-motor dexterity, self-help skills, use of communication systems, and switch control. A student who has difficulty learning motor tasks, poor organization and sequencing of tasks, poor hand use, difficulty accomplishing tasks without adaptive equipment, unusual or limited play patterns, deficits in self-help skills, poor attention to task, or hypo- or hypersensitivity to touch would be appropriately referred for an assessment by an occupational therapist.

A licensed physical therapist provides therapy in postural stability and movement; muscle stability and strengthening; management of trunk stability; orthopedic problems; range of motion; positioning, bracing, and casting; transfer skills; gait training; and cardiovascular and respiratory health. Indicators that a student should be referred for an assessment by a physical therapist include delayed gross-motor skills, difficulty learning motor tasks, unusual walking or motor patterns, difficulty moving safely in the school environment, difficulty maintaining sitting posture, poor balance, difficulty accomplishing tasks without the use of adaptive equipment, postural or orthopedic abnormalities, or reduced endurance.

For further clarification regarding occupational therapy and physical therapy services in the schools, see Guidelines for Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy in California Public Schools (1996).

Career/Vocational Specialist

The career/vocational specialist should develop and enhance programs that will provide preparatory experiences for deaf and hard of hearing students. Typical responsibilities of the career/vocational specialist may include:

• Demonstrating effective communication techniques with deaf and hard of hearing students

62 Chapter Three

• Designing and implementing programwide career education programs within the structure of the existing curriculum as follows: career exposure for preschool through grade three; career awareness for grades four through eight; career exploration for grades nine through twelve; and career work groups for grades nine through twelve

• Providing for training in specific occupational interests and skills

• Conducting individual career assessments • Interpreting and utilizing career assessment results in the

development of the individualized transition plan (ITP) • Assisting classroom teachers with the assessment of career

awareness, interests, and aptitudes • Assisting classroom teachers with making use of results

from career assessments at various levels • Identifying and obtaining materials for staff in-service

training • Establishing a career education resource center • Coordinating job training facilities for classroom training

and on-the-job training • Coordinating job sites for students’ observation and on-

the-job training • Providing outreach service to the community • Demonstrating knowledge of safety requirements and

occupational safety concerns for deaf and hard of hearing individuals

Guidance Counselor

The primary role of the credentialed guidance counselor working with deaf and hard of hearing students is to develop programs promoting mental health for students and families. In this way coping skills, problem-solving abilities, and positive self-concepts in deaf and hard of hearing students are developed. Typical duties of the guidance counselor, as cited in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Educational Service Guidelines (1994), may include:

– Being knowledgeable in the psychosocial and sociologicalaspects of deafness and the implications for family dynamics;

– Being knowledgeable about postsecondary programs forstudents who are deaf and hard of hearing;

– Being knowledgeable about services available for individualswho are deaf and hard of hearing at community, city, state,and national levels;

guidance counselor working with deaf and hard of hearing students is to develop

mental health for students and families.

The primary role of the credentialed

programs promoting


– Being knowledgeable about counseling philosophies and theories and their application to clientele who are deaf and hard of hearing;

– Being expert in providing psychosocial, developmental, and coping skills training;

– Communicating proficiently with individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing in their primary language and preferred communication mode . . . ;

– Understanding practices and procedures for group guidance and counseling; and

– Demonstrating skills for group guidance and counseling.

Psychologist

The credentialed psychologist working with deaf and hard of hearing students may have the following responsibilities, as outlined in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Educational Service Guidelines (1994):

– Possessing training/background in the psychological and sociological aspects of deafness;

– Possessing training and knowledge to assess cultural and linguistic factors related to deafness and the implications on performance;

– Possessing knowledge of issues related to non-discrimina-tory assessment, particularly as it pertains to children who are deaf and hard of hearing and who are from racial, ethnic, and cultural minorities;

– Selecting, administering, and interpreting verbal and nonverbal assessment instruments appropriate for students who are deaf and hard of hearing;

– Assessing areas of cognitive/intellectual, psychosocial, and independent living skills of students who are deaf and hard of hearing;

– Assessing social and emotional aspects of behavior andimplications on educational placement and achievement;

– Providing group, individual, and family therapy as needed or as appropriate;

– Consulting with school personnel as necessary; and, – Communicating with students who are deaf and hard of

hearing in their primary language or preferred mode ofcommunication.

64 Chapter Three

School Nurse

The responsibilities of the credentialed school nurse may include: • Demonstrating effective communication techniques with

deaf and hard of hearing students • Establishing procedures for screening hearing and vision

and determining etiology • Conducting health and developmental assessments, as

necessary • Serving as an instructional resource to staff with regard to

health education for deaf and hard of hearing students • Serving as a resource to staff with regard to community

resources for health and welfare services for deaf and hard of hearing students


Deaf and hard of hearing students, birth including those

with multiple disabilities,

tialed to teach deaf and hard of hearing students.

through age twenty-one, are instructed

by teachers who are specifically trained and creden

Deaf and hard of hearing students, birth through age twenty-one, including those with multiple disabilities, shall receive instruction and services from teachers who are specifically trained and credentialed to teach deaf and hard of hearing students. Deaf and hard of hearing students for whom the IEP team has determined that the general education classroom is the most appropriate placement should receive an appropriate amount of consultative support or direct instruction or both from an itinerant teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students.

The teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students should demonstrate competency in all of the knowledge and skill areas delineated above under Standard 19 and must be specifically trained and credentialed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (see Appendix D) to teach deaf and hard of hearing children. The Council on Education of the Deaf has established nationally accepted standards for teacher competency (see Appendix E). These competencies may be helpful in selecting in-service training for teachers who work with deaf and hard of hearing students.


Teacher of Early Childhood Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

The development of positive family-child relationships during a child’s early years is critical to the child’s later cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional growth. The deaf or hard of hearing child’s lack of full access to communication can interfere with the development of a positive family-child relationship. Therefore, it is critical that teachers in early childhood deaf and hard of hearing programs focus their service delivery on the family as well as on the child. These teachers must be credentialed teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children and must also have the competencies related to the provision of services to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families.

Typical duties may include but are not limited to:

• Working as a part of a multidisciplinary team in the assessment of the child’s needs and the development of the individualized family service plan (IFSP) or individualized education program (IEP)

• Providing direct and consultative services to the child and the family, as determined by the IFSP/IEP, to facilitate the development of communication and cognitive skills

• Providing ongoing access to informational programs that help the family learn about hearing loss, assessment, amplification options, communication options, educational options, legal rights under state and federal special education laws, resources and community services available for deaf and hard of hearing children

Special Day Class Teacher for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

The special day class teacher is primarily responsible for the direct instruction of assigned students. In addition to providing instruction, the special day class teacher should assume responsibility for the basic coordination of the mainstreamed students’ programs with the general education staff. This individual also assists the general education teacher, the site principal, and the parents of the students in the program. Furthermore, the special day class teacher must respect and be proficient in the language mode(s) of the students.

Typical duties should include but not be limited to:

• Assessing students in the area of preacademic/academic achievement, making recommendations for academic goals

66 Chapter Three

and objectives for the IEP, and providing academic instruction in the core curriculum to the students

• Assessing students in the area of language and communication skills, making recommendations for language/ communication skills goals and objectives for the IEP, and providing language and communication skills instruction to the students (may work in conjunction with the speech and language specialist and audiologist)

• Teaching a deaf studies curriculum • Assisting in the appropriate placement of students • Collaborating with general education teachers and inter

preters regarding the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students who are mainstreamed

• Monitoring students’ progress • Coordinating required services for students • Providing daily monitoring of individual hearing aids,

cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices and group amplification devices, as appropriate (Note: When monitoring any FM system, be aware of possible interference from cellular phones, air control towers, or personal pagers.)

• Providing information to teachers and parents regarding the education of deaf and hard of hearing students

• Providing Deaf awareness and Deaf culture in-service training to general education staff and students

• Teaching daily living skills and independent living skills, as appropriate

Itinerant Teacher of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Itinerant teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students are fully credentialed teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. The itinerant teacher must ensure that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have programs in which they have direct and appropriate access to all components of the educational process, including but not limited to recess, lunch, and extracurricular social and athletic activities. Itinerant teachers may provide direct instruction and consultative services to deaf and hard of hearing students enrolled in a general education class, a resource specialist program, special day class, or home or hospital program.

When appropriate caseloads for itinerant teachers are considered, factors such as mileage, direct service versus a

It is critical that teachers in

early childhood deaf and hard of hearing

service delivery on the family as well as on the child.

programs focus their


The itinerant teacher must

hearing and deaf

grams in which they

priate access to all components of the

including but not

lunch, and extracurricular social and athletic activities.

ensure that hard of

children, like all children, have pro

have direct and appro

educational process,

limited to recess,

consultation model, age of students, number of students with additional disabilities, and dynamics of school climate must also be considered. A ratio of 1:10 to 1:24 is an appropriate range of standard caseload limits.

Typical responsibilities of the itinerant teacher may include but are not limited to:

• Providing in-service training for general education staff and students regarding the specific communication and educational needs of deaf and hard of hearing students and ways of including deaf and hard of hearing students in various situations and group settings

• Obtaining specialized services, materials, or equipment for deaf and hard of hearing students to use in the general education classroom and providing specialized resources and visual aids

• Helping establish a system to ensure the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing students in activities

• Providing instruction to deaf and hard of hearing students regarding their hearing loss, Deaf culture, assistive devices, and various communication methods used by deaf and hard of hearing individuals

• Facilitating opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing students to interact socially with other deaf and hard of hearing students and with deaf and hard of hearing role models

• Adapting curriculum to make subject matter accessible to deaf and hard of hearing students

• Keeping parents informed of the school curriculum and methods and techniques to reinforce language and academic development

• Evaluating and recommending appropriate environmental conditions, such as lighting and acoustics, to meet the unique communication needs of deaf and hard of hearing students

• Assessing students in the areas of academic achievement and language and communication; when appropriate, making recommendations for IEP goals and objectives in these areas and providing direct, specialized instruction in specific areas of need

• Assisting in the appropriate placement of students • Coordinating required services for students

68 Chapter Three

• Providing monitoring of individual hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices

• Meeting regularly with program coordinators or program specialists to discuss problems or concerns regarding programs for integrated students

• Meeting regularly with general education teachers and interpreters to discuss areas of concern and to ensure that communication is effective

Class Size and Caseloads


Class size and caseloads of staff should allow

services based on the unique educational needs of deaf and hard of hearing students.

for providing specialized instruction and

For deaf and hard of hearing students, class size and student/ teacher ratio should be appropriate to the needs of the students. When programs for deaf and hard of hearing students are provided, class size may need to be flexible to accommodate other service delivery models, such as team teaching or co-enrollment. However, class size guidelines become necessary when the composition of the deaf and hard of hearing group is influenced by multiage or multigrade factors or additional handicapping conditions that dictate the need for a unique classroom structure. Class size and caseloads must not be so large that each student’s instructional needs, as determined by the IEP team, cannot be met. In such instances the following student/teacher ratios are recommended for classes for deaf and hard of hearing students:

• Infants: Four infants per teacher if center based • Preschool: Four to six students per teacher • Multihandicapped: Four to six students per teacher • Primary (kindergarten through grade three): Four to eight

students per teacher • Intermediate (grades four through eight): Six to eight

students per teacher • Secondary: Eight to ten students per teacher

Caseloads for itinerant teachers must be such that each student’s needs, as determined by the IEP team, can be met. Distance traveled and number of sites should be taken into


consideration. An appropriate caseload for an itinerant teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students is ten to 24 students.

Staff Development


ing for all staff to enhance student achievement. The program provides annual and ongoing train

Specialized staff development is critical for personnel working in programs for deaf and hard of hearing students. The report of the California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force states: “The quality of educational programs serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students depends upon the specialized knowledge, skills, and attributes of all administrators; teachers; educational interpreters; certificated personnel; support service personnel; psychologists; audiologists; speech and language specialists; and other staff, including note takers and real-time captionists. Unfortunately, a severe shortage exists of qualified teachers and other staff to serve deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Recruitment and preservice and in-service training are essential to alleviating this problem and providing quality staff” (Communication Access and Quality Education for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Children 1999, 16).

An annual needs assessment should be developed and used to plan staff development activities. Depending on the needs of the program and the staff, program planners should provide opportunities for in-service training, preservice training, and specialized workshops and conferences. Staff development topics may include using technology to enhance student learning and networking with other deaf and hard of hearing students throughout the state, enhancing behavioral intervention skills, providing services for deaf and hard of hearing students with special needs, developing and upgrading sign language skills, identifying and teaching to individual learning styles, using appropriate curricular adaptations and teaching strategies for deaf and hard of hearing students, and other areas as identified through the needs assessment.

Administrators should support and facilitate networking through regionalized staff development activities, video conferencing, and computer networking. Networking is important to provide staff with category-specific resources

70 Chapter Three

and to allow for the exchange of ideas and experiences.


tion personnel serving its deaf and hard of

modifications of the curriculum, and understanding of the impact of hearing loss on communication development.

A general education teacher or special education teacher

should be given in-service training by qualified personnel

service training should include but not be limited to:

• Modifying teaching behaviors to accommodate the needs

tions need to meet each child’s unique communication mode—spoken, signed, or spoken in combination with signs or cues.)

• aids and equipment

•

amplification devices •

(e.g., itinerant teacher of the deaf, speech and language specialist)

• • • Monitoring the use of hearing aids, cochlear implants,

and assistive listening devices •

In addition, the general education or special education

itinerant teacher of the deaf.

A general education teacher

or special education teacher who has a deaf or hard of hearing student placed in the

given in-service training by qualified personnel prior to the placement of the student in the class

Networking serves to reduce stress and motivates innovation and high standards.

The program provides training to general educa

hearing students regarding accommodations,

(other than a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing) who has a deaf or hard of hearing student placed in the classroom

prior to the placement of the student in the classroom. In-

of deaf and hard of hearing students (Specific modifica

Creating a visual environment through the use of visual

Creating an acoustically appropriate environment through the use of acoustic accommodations and use of

Working with or collaborating with support personnel

Working with an interpreter Establishing a note-taking program

Ensuring that the deaf or hard of hearing child will have access to and will be included in all classroom and school-related activities

teacher and the deaf or hard of hearing student should receive the ongoing support and services of a credentialed

classroom should be

room.


School Safety


ism, support, and high expectations for each student.

The program provides a safe and secure environment in which to learn and teach. Its atmosphere

reflects the program’s purpose and is characterized by respect for differences, trust, caring, professional

The program has policies and procedures that ensure a safe, secure, and clean teaching and learning environment for its students and staff. Those policies address the following:

• Collaborative interagency and community partnerships to support and ensure the safety and security of all students and staff through an effective safe program planning process

• Staff development activities that emphasize safe school strategies

• Standards for school cleanliness and lighting that provide a clean and visually appropriate environment supportive of the learning process

• Regular maintenance of the program’s facilities to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and staff members

• Evaluation of the effectiveness of the program’s safety plan

Facilities

Guideline Standard 25

the unique communication, education, and safety

• Deaf and hard of hearing students have access to specialized

•

with adequate technological tools and curriculum materials for learning.

Facilities are designed and maintained to enhance the provision of instruction and services to meet

needs of students who are deaf and hard of hearing:

materials and equipment and services that provide communication access to the core curriculum. Classrooms for deaf and hard of hearing students are clean, well-lit, and acoustically appropriate; are equipped with visual emergency warning signals; and provide students

72 Chapter Three



• Space is available where parent conferences and IEPmeetings can be held with confidentiality.

The physical facilities in programs for deaf and hard of hearing students should include facilities for both indoor and outdoor instruction, ancillary services, and administration. The facilities should be flexible to permit changes in the program that are dictated by the students’ needs. Classrooms should be the same size as classrooms for general education students on the same campus and should be large enough to accommodate individual, small-group, or whole-class instruction as well as the use and storage of the necessary special equipment and teaching materials. Support personnel (e.g., itinerant teachers, speech and language specialists, psychologists) need adequate space for instruction and for storage of supplies and equipment. Adequate space should be provided where IEP meetings can be held with confidentiality and comfort.

Special attention should be given to the following aspects of the environment for deaf and hard of hearing individuals:

Color. Because of the importance of sensory clues, the visual environment should be warm, varied, cheerful, and restful to the eyes. Color that will provide contrasting background for ease in lipreading and reading sign language is essential.

Acoustics. When individual hearing aids or auditory training equipment are used by deaf and hard of hearing students or when a student with a cochlear implant is in a classroom, special consideration should be given to the control and reduction of ambient noise (background noise that competes with the main speech signal) and reverberation (the prolongation of a sound after the sound source has ceased). Sources of ambient noise in classrooms may include but are not limited to heating and air conditioning units, fluorescent light ballasts, mechanical equipment, and outside noise.


should be the same

general education students on the same campus and should be

accommodate indi

whole-class instruction as well as the use and storage of the necessary special equipment and teaching materials.

Classrooms

size as classrooms for

large enough to

vidual, small-group, or

Reverberation is caused when sounds reflect off nonabsorptive surfaces, such as walls, ceilings, and doors. Excessive reverberation causes a speaker’s words to become distorted and difficult to understand.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association makes the following recommendations relative to classroom acoustics: in both self-contained and mainstream classrooms where deaf and hard of hearing children are housed, the ambient (background) noise level should be no greater than 30 dBA, and reverberation time (RT) should be no more than 0.4 second. In order to achieve these desired acoustic criteria, classrooms where deaf and hard of hearing children are housed should be located as far as possible from noise sources, such as street noise, playground noise, and cafeteria noise. Air conditioning vents should be fitted with baffles or split to reduce noise caused by the air, and the air conditioner compressors should be mounted on rubber pads and separated from the main building. Classrooms should have carpeted floors, acoustic ceiling tiles, rubber seals around doors, remote starter ballasts, drapes where necessary, and angled room corners. Walls should not be hard surfaced. The use of FM systems can also minimize distracting background noise and improve the clarity of the teacher’s voice. For further information regarding these recommendations, see “Position Statement and Guidelines for Acoustics in Educational Settings” (1995).

An audiologist should be involved in the modification of a classroom to meet these criteria.

Antistatic precautions should be implemented in any setting where children with cochlear implants are housed. Precautions include antistatic or glare guards, or both, for computer monitors and antistatic computer mats. Plastic playground equipment, plastic furniture, and nylon carpet should be avoided because of the added likelihood of damage to the speech processor from electrostatic discharge.

Lighting. Because deaf and hard of hearing students must use their eyes more extensively in the educational setting, nonglare lighting is important. Lighting should be easily modified and controlled. Easy access to control switches is an important time-saver.

Emergency warning and signaling devices. Because deaf and hard of hearing students do not always hear fire alarms, bells, or verbal commands, all classrooms, bathrooms, hallways,

74 Chapter Three

offices, and play areas should be equipped with visual emergency warning devices, such as strobe lights or other electrical devices.

Technology and teaching equipment. Teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students use multimedia equipment in their instructional activities. Because a teacher usually faces students to communicate, efficient and accessible audiovisual equipment and other equipment are necessary. Specialized equipment may be kept in a centralized media facility within a school or program. The center should be located so that needed equipment, films, and materials can be obtained without undue delay. The following kinds of equipment were suggested in a survey of those working with deaf and hard of hearing students:

• Computers with CD-ROM and multimedia and Internet capability

• Appropriate software • Televisions with closed captioning decoders • Videocassette recorders (VCRs) • Tape recorders or compact disc players that can be con

nected to a group amplification device • Slide projectors and filmstrip projectors • Overhead projectors • Laser disc players • Telecommunications devices for the deaf or telephone

amplifiers • Video cameras • Real-time captioning equipment • Cameras (PolaroidTM/35mm/digital) • Copy stands • Large-print typewriters • Photocopy equipment for the production of both black-

and-white and color transparencies and paper copies • Laminators • Tachistoscopes • Video-conferencing equipment

Audiological equipment. A program for deaf and hard of hearing students should have access to the following suggested equipment for audiological services, including assessment and rehabilitation:

• Otoscope


• Electroacoustic Immittance Meter to include tests for static immittance, physical volume, tympanometry, and acoustic reflex

• Clinical audiometer with pure tone and bone conduction and masking and speech capabilities

• Electroacoustic hearing aid analyzer with real ear measurements

• Sound level meter • Specialized lighting and reinforcement equipment for

testing young or difficult-to-test children • Stock of loaner hearing aids • Individual FM systems with appropriate coupling options • Group FM systems (soundfield or teleloop or both) • Equipment and supplies for making and modifying ear

molds • Tactile-kinesthetic aids • Auditory training materials • Materials and visual aids for in-service training • Battery testers, stethosets, and cleaning materials for ear

molds • Appropriate files and forms for recordkeeping

Program Accountability


The school leadership and staff regularly assess each student’s progress toward accomplishing

the expected schoolwide learning results and report student progress to the rest of the school

community, including parents, the deaf and hard of hearing community, and related agencies and organizations.

The program has established an assessment process that reports the extent to which every student is meeting content and performance standards and expected student learning results. The process includes the development of an assessment plan that provides valid and reliable information about (1) the achievement of every student related to content and performance standards; and (2) what the program plans to do to increase the level of each student’s achievement over time. The assessment plan includes a description of the following:

76 Chapter Three

• The assessment formats and the types of information used to determine whether every student is meeting the content standards in each subject area

• The method employed to ensure the validity, reliability, and consistency of the evaluations of student achievement

• The method employed to combine various types of information about student achievement

• The method employed to ensure that all students are assessed appropriately in terms of the content standards

• The program’s staff development process in the area of assessment, ensuring that staff can reliably evaluate students’ work in terms of content standards


The program conducts a self-review as part of the state monitoring process, using these

guidelines and encompassing all areas of program quality, and provides written progress reports

annually to parents, staff, and the community.

Recognizing the importance of stakeholder participation and collaboration, the governing authority has approved a comprehensive program accountability plan, including a self-review process using these guidelines, that provides appropriate information about the program and students’ achievement to school staff, students, parents, administrators, the local governing board, the community, and the California Department of Education. The plan includes the following:

• A description of the types of information to be gathered and presented to school staff, students, parents, administrators, the local governing board, the community, and the California Department of Education

• A timeline for reporting information about student achievement and compliance with these guidelines to the appropriate audiences

• A timeline for the improvement of student achievement and program guideline compliance, including targets for improvement and for interventions if those targets are not met

• Procedures for the development and submittal of periodic reports to the governing board, school staff, parents, and the community


Chapter Four

Curriculum and

of hearing

need . . . to be in

a linguistically rich

guage is fully accessible. . . .

Instruction

Deaf and hard

children . . .

environment in which lan


Focus on Communication


The instructional delivery system supports

priate context and focuses on the unique communication needs of deaf and hard of hearing

students in order to support students’ success.

students’ learning in a developmentally appro

Most hearing children enter public school with the ability to process and integrate spoken information. They have mastered the basic sentence patterns that they will use for the rest of their lives and they have acquired an extensive vocabulary. The school system establishes its programs and services for such children and develops a curriculum based on the assumption that all children enter school with basic language skills. The schools then proceed to teach children to read, write, and compute. With these tools, children are ready for the acquisition of information in content areas.

Deaf and hard of hearing children have the same ability to learn as do hearing children. But, for deaf and hard of hearing children to learn, they need, like all children, to be in a linguistically rich environment in which language is fully accessible to deaf or hard of hearing children. It is the responsibility of the school to provide such an environment for children and to provide the parents with the knowledge, support, and skills they need in order to provide their children with a linguistically rich environment at home.

Early Childhood Programs


Curriculum and instruction for deaf and hard of

the development of communication skills and linguistic compe

hearing infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, including those with multiple disabilities, are family

focused, developmentally appropriate, and focused on

tence to ensure later academic, social, and vocational success.

For deaf and hard of hearing infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, curriculum should follow developmentally appropriate practice, as established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and be

80 Chapter Four

family focused, as mandated by Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing infants and preschoolers must focus on the development of communication skills and linguistic competence to help ensure later academic, social, and vocational success.

California’s Early Start Program for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families

All infants and toddlers with an identified hearing loss are eligible for services through California Early Start Services under Part C of IDEA. Children under three years of age who have solely a hearing loss or a combination of hearing loss and another low-incidence disability (visual impairment or severe orthopedic impairment) are provided early intervention services by the local educational agency (LEA). Deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers with multihandicapping conditions may be provided services by the local educational agency or the local Department of Developmental Services Regional Center or both. However, regardless of whether services are provided by the LEA or by the regional center, deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers require the services of appropriately credentialed teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing. Teachers working with deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers and their families should have the necessary competencies to work with deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers as well as comprehensive training in early childhood education and family systems.

Infant-toddler programs for deaf and hard of hearing children must provide intensive early intervention services aimed at the development of communication skills and linguistic competence. Research has shown that the years from birth to three are critical for the natural acquisition of language. Early intervention programs should take advantage of the very young child’s ability to acquire language skills by providing opportunities for infants and toddlers to participate in programs where they have intensive access to services and personnel who can provide accessible and comprehensible language interaction that can enhance the acquisition of language. Likewise, infant-toddler programs should provide parents with training and education that will allow them to provide an enriched communication environment at home. A combination of home-based and center-based services can best meet the needs of deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers and their families.

Curriculum and Instruction 81

Infant-toddler

training and education that will allow them to

communication envi

programs should provide parents with

provide an enriched

ronment at home.

Deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers are often most appropriately served in center-based programs that allow for the intensive language intervention, consistent interaction with adults proficient in their language and language mode, and access to language mode peers they need in order to develop language and cognitive skills that will help them succeed academically, socially, and vocationally later on. Center-based programs for deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers also allow parents better opportunities for parent-to-parent support.

Services provided in the infant-toddler program include:

• Service coordination by a coordinator who is knowledgeable of the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing infants and toddlers and their families

• Appropriate assessment of: — Cognitive development — Physical development, including vision and hearing — Social/emotional development — Adaptive development — Family resources, priorities, and concerns

• Development of an individualized family service plan (IFSP)

• Observations of the child and assistance in the development of parent-child interaction

• Modeling and demonstration of ways to use tasks and routine interactions to create optimal speech and language experiences

• Information and education for the family regarding communication alternatives and other related issues (Parents need to be given the opportunity to research and explore different communication modes and educational methodologies.)

• Assistance to parents in becoming self-sufficient and strong advocates for their deaf or hard of hearing child

• Emotional support throughout the process of understanding and coping with the ongoing needs of a deaf or hard of hearing child

• Direct instructional services to the hard of hearing or deaf child, as outlined in the IFSP

• Transition services for the parent and child to preschool and other services, beginning at two years and six months

82 Chapter Four

Preschool Programs

A preschool program (for children from ages three to five years) is required for all deaf and hard of hearing children. Preschool services may be provided in a special day class for deaf and hard of hearing preschoolers, or services may be provided on an itinerant basis to deaf and hard of hearing preschoolers in another preschool placement (such as Head Start or child development preschool) if that is determined by the IEP team to be the most appropriate placement. Teachers working with deaf and hard of hearing preschoolers should have the appropriate competencies and comprehensive training in early childhood education and family systems and should be appropriately trained and credentialed to teach deaf and hard of hearing students. Furthermore, preschool teachers should be proficient in the language mode(s) of their students.

A well-defined program model and philosophy for preschool deaf and hard of hearing children should include:

• A communication-based, developmentally appropriate preschool curriculum

• Comprehensive assessment and services for children from three to five years of age

• A multidisciplinary team approach for assessment and IEP development

• Program options to provide the most appropriate placement for each child

• Emphasis on parental involvement, training, and support

• Interagency coordination • Provision of opportunities for observing and for conduct

ing training for staff • Involvement with deaf and hard of hearing role models • Administrative support for and participation in in-service

training • Transition planning to ensure appropriate programs and

services when children reach school age

with deaf and hard of

priate competencies and

in early childhood education and family systems and should be

teach deaf and hard of hearing students.

Teachers working

hearing preschoolers should have the appro

comprehensive training

appropriately trained and credentialed to


Elementary and Secondary School Programs


students’ achievement toward expected schoolwide learning

based teaching and learning principles.

School-aged deaf and hard of hearing children, including those with multiple disabilities, are

provided with a challenging, coherent, and relevant core and specialized curriculum to ensure

results. The professional staff implements a variety of engaging learning experiences based on up-to-date and research-

Deaf and hard of hearing students in elementary and secondary school programs should be provided instruction in the district’s adopted core curriculum. The course of study includes English and language arts, reading, mathematics, social studies, science, physical education, and computer literacy. In addition, instruction should be provided in specialized curriculum areas, including but not limited to Deaf studies, use of assistive technology, American Sign Language, telecommunication devices for the deaf/telecommunication skills, speech and speechreading, auditory training, social skills instruction, independent living skills, career education, and vocational education. The curriculum should contain well-defined content and performance standards for each grade level and should be sequential and coordinated with other service providers. For core curriculum areas, the dis-trict-adopted content and performance standards will usually be appropriate for deaf and hard of hearing students. For specialized curriculum areas, the deaf and hard of hearing program staff is responsible for developing content and performance standards. During the IEP meeting, curriculum adaptations and specialized instructional strategies, materials, media, equipment, and technology should be identified to ensure accommodations and access to the core curriculum.

The particular needs of individual students may require the use of differential or specialized curriculum materials and instructional strategies if the IEP team determines the student cannot benefit from the adopted curriculum materials and instructional methods, even with adaptations.

The curriculum offered by a program for deaf and hard of hearing students provides a full range of activities, including after-class as well as class activities. This range of offerings

84 Chapter Four

is necessary to promote the social and emotional as well as the intellectual development of deaf and hard of hearing children. Communication access (e.g., sign language interpreters) must be provided for extracurricular as well as for curricular activities.

Transition from High School to Adult Programs


Deaf and hard of hearing students aged fourteen

tion services, including vocational education and and older are provided with appropriate transi

information regarding postsecondary educational options.

For deaf and hard of hearing students and their families, transition planning, beginning at age fourteen or younger, is a lifeline to adulthood. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1996) defines transition services as “A coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. The coordinated set of activities shall be based upon the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s preferences and interests, and shall include instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and a functional vocational evaluation.”

The purposes of transition planning are: “First, to help students and families think about their life after high school and identify long-range goals; second, to design the high school experience to ensure that students gain the skills and connections they need to achieve those goals” (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, “Transition Requirements, A Guide for States, Districts, Schools, and Families.”).

Students fourteen years of age or older must have an individualized transition plan (ITP) developed. The transition services language must be based on the student’s own needs, preferences, interests, and long-range goals. Transition services are provided as necessary to help the student work toward those long-range goals.


How Assessment Is Used


dents’ achievement, design effective instruction,

statewide and local assessments.

The program uses assessment to measure stu

and communicate the program’s effectiveness. Deaf and hard of hearing students are included in

Deaf and hard of hearing students will be included in statewide and local assessments. Deaf and hard of hearing students may require accommodations, as determined by the IEP team, to provide equity to the assessment procedure. Some students may be exempted from state and local assessments, either at a parent’s request or by the IEP team’s decision. If the IEP team determines that a student is not able to participate in state or local assessments, alternative assessments will be used to determine the student’s progress. It is estimated that approximately 2 percent of students will participate in alternative assessment.

Program effectiveness is demonstrated by:

• Progress of students as measured by performance-based assessment, criterion-referenced assessment, norm-refer-enced assessment, promotion from grade to grade, successful completion of requirements for graduation, attainment of IEP goals and objectives, and follow-up of high school graduates and of students who leave school without graduating

• Program self-review (as part of the quality assurance process), using these guidelines and involving consumers, consultants, program specialists, teachers, parents, administrators, students, and interagency service providers

86 Chapter Four

Chapter FiveSupport for Student Learning The involve

ment of the

family as

active partici

pants is critical to

the success of a child who is

deaf or hard of hearing.


Equal Access to All School-Related Activities


students in curricular and extracurricular The program provides equal access for all

activities and designated and related services.

Deaf and hard of hearing students must have access to all school-related activities, including extracurricular activities (e.g., after-school sports programs, student body government, field trips, student assistance programs). Designated and related services (e.g., interpreting, transportation) and specialized materials and equipment (e.g., assistive listening devices) must be provided if they are necessary for the deaf or hard of hearing student to participate equally in the activity.

Parental Involvement


support system for students.

The program has an ongoing process for involving parents and the deaf and hard of hearing

community in program development and encourages strong collaboration between school staff,

parents, deaf and hard of hearing community members, and the business community. The program leadership employs a wide range of strategies to ensure that parental and community involvement is integral to the program’s established

The involvement of the family as active participants is critical to the success of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing and of the program as a whole. Parental and community involvement is a reciprocal relationship with the school and the deaf and hard of hearing program. One part of this relationship is the school and program’s providing information and services to the family and the community so that they can help the deaf or hard of hearing child to succeed.

The term families can mean a variety of individuals, such as parents, guardians, foster parents, grandparents, siblings, and extended family members. When community is used, again that can mean a variety of individuals, businesses, organizations, or agencies. The term deaf community means

88 Chapter Five

the deaf and hard of hearing individuals, parents of deaf and hard of hearing children, children of deaf and hard of hearing individuals, educators of the deaf and hard of hearing, interpreters, and other professionals serving the deaf.

The deaf and hard of hearing program can provide important information and services to families and the community that will enhance the academic and social success of deaf and hard of hearing children. Parents need knowledge and support to make effective, informed decisions and to actively participate in the IFSP/IEP/ITP process. The general goal of service to parents is to enable parents to become advocates in promoting what is best for their own child. Parents must be empowered to make informed decisions by receiving comprehensive, unbiased information.

It is essential for every deaf and hard of hearing program to have a parent and community education component. That education must start immediately, as soon as the parent enrolls a child in the program or an IEP team determines that the child is eligible for services from the deaf and hard of hearing program. For families with deaf or hard of hearing infants and toddlers, the parent/community education needs to be an ongoing component of the educational program. It would include home visits, group meetings, and opportunities for the parents to volunteer in deaf and hard of hearing classes other than their child’s classroom. The parent/community education would include but not be limited to information regarding special education laws, parent rights and responsibilities, speech and language development, normal child development, communication methodologies, and program options. There should also be opportunities for parents to meet and interact with deaf and hard of hearing adults.

Within a program one staff member should be assigned the responsibility of facilitating parent/community education. These duties may be assumed by the program specialist or coordinator, the guidance counselor, or another staff member, as deemed appropriate. The person in charge of coordinating parent education has the following responsibilities:

• Conducting a parents’ needs/strengths assessment • Arranging for informational programs according to the

parents’ priorities • Providing resource personnel for educational programs

Support for Student Learning 89

have shown that

those gains when

guage for their child at home rather than depend solely on the instruction the child

Research studies

children make greater progress and maintain

parents provide lan

receives in his or her educational program.

• Working with the parents and the community to organize a support group

• Obtaining and distributing written material on topics of parental interest or need

• Acting as a resource and referral person to make the community aware of the identification and implication of hearing loss

• Developing a parent/community library or resource center • Providing foreign language interpreters for non-English-

speaking parents at parent activities and translation of written materials into foreign languages for non-English speaking parents

Research studies have shown that children make greater progress and maintain those gains when parents provide language for their child at home rather than depend solely on the instruction the child receives in his or her educational program. Because parents play such a pivotal role in their child’s total development, it is important for parents to have intervention strategies that they can use in daily interactions with their children. Parents can use these intervention strategies to capitalize on natural opportunities that occur from day to day to enhance their child’s language development.

For parents to provide language in the home, language development instruction must be a central part of all parent and community education. In addition to instruction on speech and language development, the deaf and hard of hearing program must provide ongoing, multilevel sign language instruction classes for families and community members. These classes should be given at times and locations convenient for families and working parents. They should be free of charge and open to siblings and other family members. When the population is sufficient, American Sign Language instruction should be in the home language of the parents. Sign language classes should also be available to the students at any school site with a deaf and hard of hearing program.

To help families and the community support and enhance students’ achievement, the deaf and hard of hearing program must provide information to parents and the community regarding content and performance standards, grade-level expectations for students’ achievement, and assessments measuring that achievement, including both formal and informal types of assessments. This information would include (1) written information, available in all languages,

90 Chapter Five

regarding standards and expectations for all curriculum subject areas approved by the California State Board of Education or district governing boards; and (2) workshops or programs at “open house” and alternative times convenient for parents and community members during which the standards, expectations, assessments, and accountability process used by the program and the district would be discussed. Each teacher should be required to document discussion of the grade-level expectations, standards, and assessments with the parents at each deaf and hard of hearing child’s IEP meeting or parent conference.

Families and the community need to be involved in helping the program to succeed. Each deaf and hard of hearing program should establish an advisory council consisting of parents, deaf and hard of hearing community members, members of the larger community, deaf and hard of hearing students, credentialed teachers and support staff from the deaf and hard of hearing program, and other persons as deemed appropriate; for example, representatives from deaf and hard of hearing organizations or agencies.

The advisory council should participate in the implementation of staff development, in the development of parent/ community education programs, and in the selection and evaluation of program administrators. The council should also advise the program regarding all aspects of the system of delivery. Representatives from the advisory council and other parents or community members should be encouraged to get involved in school-site governance teams, district committees, and special education community advisory committees.

Each deaf and hard of hearing program should also establish a parent/community support group that functions as a liaison to the parents and the community by providing a regular newsletter; organizing social activities; sponsoring sports and recreational opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing children; raising funds for additional equipment or materials for the deaf and hard of hearing program; providing recognition for teachers, staff, and students for outstanding achievement; and so forth. The staff member responsible for parent education can work with the leadership of the parent/community support group and assist in providing facilities, interpreters, transportation, and resources (such as duplicating and distribution of materials) for meetings.

Each deaf and hard

should establish an advisory council con-

and hard of hearing community members,

hard of hearing stu-

teachers and support

gram, and other persons

of hearing program

sisting of parents, deaf

members of the larger community, deaf and

dents, credentialed

staff from the deaf and hard of hearing pro-

as deemed appropriate.

Support for Student Learning 91

The parents and the community can also assist the deaf and hard of hearing program by helping to implement a Deaf culture curriculum and a career/vocational program and by providing personnel to participate in these programs. Another way that businesses or agencies that employ deaf and hard of hearing individuals or serve the deaf and hard of hearing can assist the deaf and hard of hearing program is by collaborating to form a school or program partnership.

92 Chapter Five

Appendix AGuidelines for Self-Review

Aguidelines is to be done as a part of the California Department of Education’s Quality

self-review based on these

Assurance Program. The purpose of self-review is to determine

program strengths and weaknesses in order to develop an action plan for continual program improvement. The focus of self-review should be on students’ achievement and on program quality.

In conducting the self-review, one should gather comments from a wide range of stakeholders and data from a broad range of sources. To achieve this, the following process is recommended:

Form a Leadership Committee composed of (1) the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Coordinator; (2) the SELPA Director or Special Education Director; (3) a general education administrator; (4) teacher(s) of deaf and hard of hearing students; (5) classified employee(s); (6) parent(s); (7) deaf and hard of hearing community member(s); and (8) a student or students. The Leadership Team is responsible for reviewing the guidelines standards and determining what data or information should be gathered to evaluate the program’s effectiveness in meeting each standard. Each Leadership Committee member serves on a

focus committee and is responsible for reporting back to the Leadership Committee regarding the focus committee’s work.

Form five focus committees (Identification and Referral, Assessment, Organization for Student Learning, Curriculum and Instruction, and Support for Student Learning). Each focus committee should be composed of (1) certificated staff member(s); (2) parent(s); (3) deaf and hard of hearing community member(s); (4) student(s); (5) general education staff member(s); and (6) classified staff member(s). Each focus committee gathers data and information for the purpose of evaluating the program’s effectiveness in meeting the standards related to the committee’s area. (Selfreview work sheets are provided in this appendix for recording these data.) The focus committees analyze the data collected and identify strengths and weaknesses with respect to the standards and expected schoolwide learning results. The focus committees develop recommendations for program improvement and report their findings to the Leadership Committee.

Examples of the methods focus committees may use to gather information include:

• Observing what students are doing and producing

• Examining examples of students’ work

93

• Interviewing students about their studies and school life

• Examining students’ performance-based assessment data

• Interviewing and surveying teachers and other staff

• Interviewing and surveying parents

The Leadership Committee gathers data and recommendations from the focus committees. The Leadership Committee analyzes and synthesizes the findings of the focus committees to determine programwide growth needs within the five standards categories. The Leadership Committee uses the information from the focus committees to develop an action plan for program improvement.

The size of the focus committees may vary in accordance with the size of the deaf and hard of hearing program. Some programs may not have a large enough staff or student population to form five focus committees. In small programs the Leadership Committee may choose to function as a “committee of the whole” and serve the dual role of Leadership/ Focus Committee.

Validation Review

After the self-review, it is recommended that the program conduct a validation review.

Although the validation review is not mandatory, it can provide important information that can lead to improvement in program quality. Several California school districts have conducted voluntary validation reviews of their deaf and hard of hearing programs and, based on their experiences, suggest the following format for a validation review:

1. The membership of the validation team should be composed of one school district representative and the following visitors (not from the district):

• Chairperson (administrator or teacher) • A member of the Deaf and Hard of

Hearing (DHH) Unit in the State Special

Schools and Services Division of the California Department of Education

• A teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students

• An administrator of a program for deaf and hard of hearing students

• A parent • A deaf community member • A hard of hearing community member

The California Department of Education’s DHH Unit compiles and maintains lists of professionals, parents, and consumers interested in serving as validation team members.

2. The DHH Unit and the program administrator agree on the date of the validation team’s visit one year before the visitation. The chairperson is selected four months before the visit. Remaining team members are selected at least two months before the visit.

3. The chairperson visits the program three months before the validation review, becomes familiar with the program, and begins development (with the program administrator) of a detailed schedule for the validation team’s visit. The schedule should include adequate time for classroom observations; interviews of staff, parents, and students; and team dialogue and writing. A room should be provided for the team to meet and write. Clerical/word processing/copying services should be arranged.

4. Members of the validation team are sent copies of the schedule and the self-review results six weeks before the visit.

5. After completing observations and interviews, the validation team prepares a written report based on the standards of these guidelines and presents it to the administrator of the program at the end of the validation team visit.

94 Appendix A

Guidelines for Self-Review

Focus 1

Standards Related to Identification and Referral

For each standard, identify the program’s strengths and weaknesses. Provide data or evidence for your findings. Make recommendations for how the program may improve on identified weaknesses.

Guidelines Standard 1. Procedures exist for locating and referring deaf and hard of hearing youngsters who may require special education.

Strengths:

Needs:

Recommendations/Action Plan:

Guidelines for Self-Review 95

Guidelines Standard 2. Programs for deaf and hard of hearing students establish collaborative relationships with local health care providers, hospitals, audiologists, social service agencies, and child care programs in order to ensure that infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with identified hearing loss are promptly referred to the appropriate Early Start or special education program.

Strengths:

Needs:


96 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 3. School districts and county offices of education conduct legally mandated hearing screenings to identify pupils who may have a hearing loss.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 4. Students who fail hearing screenings receive an audiological assessment.

Strengths:

Needs:


98 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 5. Deaf and hard of hearing students are screened for visual impairment at legally mandated intervals.

Strengths:

Needs:




Focus 2

Standards Related to Assessment of Unique Needs


Guidelines Standard 6. The assessment of deaf and hard of hearing students is conducted by assessment personnel who understand the unique nature of hearing loss and are specifically trained to work with deaf and hard of hearing students.

Strengths:

Needs:


100 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 7. The assessment of infants and toddlers suspected of having a hearing loss is conducted by qualified personnel knowledgeable about deafness. The assessment includes evaluation of cognitive development, physical and motor development, communication development, social/emotional development, and adaptive development.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 8. The assessment of students suspected of having a hearing loss includes all areas related to their disabilities.

Strengths:

Needs:


102 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 9. Tests are provided and administered in the student’s primary language and preferred mode of communication.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 10. The assessment report identifies the unique educational needs of the student related to the hearing loss, including needs for specialized services, materials and equipment, and accommodations in the educational environment.

Strengths:

Needs:


104 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 11. Deaf and hard of hearing students are referred to the Northern or Southern California Assessment Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, when appropriate.

Strengths:

Needs:




Focus 3

Standards Related to Organization for Student Learning


Guidelines Standard 12. The program for deaf and hard of hearing students has a clear statement of purpose, including expected student learning results. The statement addresses the critical need for equal opportunity for communication access.

Strengths:

Needs:


106 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 13. The program has a written policy on the central role of communication in the development and education of deaf and hard of hearing students. That policy includes the following elements: • Appropriate, early, and ongoing communication assessment • Appropriate, early, and ongoing communication development and communication access,

which means a critical mass of age and language peers and staff proficient in the child’s communication mode

• Recognition of the unique nature of the hearing loss • Recognition of the unique cultural and linguistic needs of deaf children • Assurance that each child will have access to communication-related services (including

qualified sign and oral interpreters, Cued Speech transliteration, electronic note-taking, and assistive listening devices) and extracurricular activities



• Assurance that sign language instruction is provided on a continuing basis to deaf students and their families

• Assurance that the communication and language needs of deaf and hard of hearing students who rely on auditory/verbal or oral/aural language are fully provided for

• Assurance that the individualized education program (IEP) team, as required by law, determines placement based on the identified and essential communication needs of the child

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 14. The governing authority and the superintendent adopt policies that are consistent with the program purpose and these guidelines. The policies support the achievement of the expected schoolwide learning results for students. The governing authority delegates implementation of these policies to the professional staff and monitors results.

Strengths:

Needs:


108 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 15. The program provides access to a full continuum of placement, program, service, and communication options. The program collaborates with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Unit in the State Special Schools and Services Division, other programs for deaf and hard of hearing students in the region, the State Special Schools, the Department of Rehabilitation, institutions of higher education, and other agencies to ensure provision of appropriate services.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 16. Programs and services should be provided through regionalization to more effectively serve deaf and hard of hearing students.

Strengths:

Needs:


110 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 17. Provision is made for appropriate services for deaf and hard of hearing students with multiple disabilities.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 18. The program coordinator/director is an experienced educator of deaf and hard of hearing students, with skills to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing students are provided with appropriate instruction and designated services. The program coordinator has the skills necessary for facilitating the participation of staff, parents, and the deaf and hard of hearing community in program development.

Strengths:

Needs:


112 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 19. Each program provides qualified professional and paraprofessional personnel, including administrators, who have the skills necessary to provide instruction and services that meet the educational needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. Skills must include proficiency in the student’s primary mode of communication; knowledge of accommodations necessary to meet the student’s needs; and knowledge of selection, use, and maintenance of assistive listening devices.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 20. Deaf and hard of hearing students, birth through age twenty-one, including those with multiple disabilities, are instructed by teachers who are specifically trained and credentialed to teach deaf and hard of hearing students.

Strengths:

Needs:


114 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 21. Class size and caseloads of staff should allow for providing specialized instruction and services based on the unique educational needs of deaf and hard of hearing students.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 22. The program provides annual and ongoing training for all staff to enhance student achievement.

Strengths:

Needs:


116 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 23. The program provides training to general education personnel serving its deaf and hard of hearing students regarding accommodations, modifications of the curriculum, and understanding of the impact of hearing loss on communication development.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 24. The program provides a safe and secure environment in which to learn and teach. Its atmosphere reflects the program’s purpose and is characterized by respect for differences, trust, caring, professionalism, support, and high expectations for each student.

Strengths:

Needs:


118 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 25. Facilities are designed and maintained to enhance the provision of instruction and services to meet the unique communication, education, and safety needs of students who are deaf and hard of hearing:

• Deaf and hard of hearing students have access to specialized materials and equipment and services that provide communication access to the core curriculum.

• Classrooms for deaf and hard of hearing students are clean, well-lit, and acoustically appropriate; are equipped with visual emergency warning signals; and provide students with adequate technological tools and curriculum materials for learning.



• Space is available where parent conferences and IEP meetings can be held with confidentiality.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 26. The school leadership and staff regularly assess each student’s progress toward accomplishing the expected schoolwide learning results and report student progress to the rest of the school community, including parents, the deaf and hard of hearing community, and related agencies and organizations.

Strengths:

Needs:


120 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 27. The program conducts a self-review as part of the state monitoring process, using these guidelines and encompassing all areas of program quality, and provides written progress reports annually to parents, staff, and the community.

Strengths:

Needs:




Focus 4

Standards Related to Curriculum and Instruction


Guidelines Standard 28. The instructional delivery system supports students’ learning in a developmentally appropriate context and focuses on the unique communication needs of deaf and hard of hearing students in order to support students’ success.

Strengths:

Needs:


122 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 29. Curriculum and instruction for deaf and hard of hearing infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, including those with multiple disabilities, are family focused, developmentally appropriate, and focused on the development of communication skills and linguistic competence to ensure later academic, social, and vocational success.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 30. School-aged deaf and hard of hearing children, including those with multiple disabilities, are provided with a challenging, coherent, and relevant core and specialized curriculum to ensure students’ achievement toward expected schoolwide learning results. The professional staff implements a variety of engaging learning experiences based on up-to-date and research-based teaching and learning principles.

Strengths:

Needs:


124 Appendix A

Guidelines Standard 31. Deaf and hard of hearing students aged fourteen and older are provided with appropriate transition services, including vocational education and information regarding postsecondary educational options.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 32. The program uses assessment to measure students’ achievement, design effective instruction, and communicate the program’s effectiveness. Deaf and hard of hearing students are included in statewide and local assessments.

Strengths:

Needs:


126 Appendix A


Focus 5

Standards Related to Support for Student Learning


Guidelines Standard 33. The program provides equal access for all students in curricular and extracurricular activities and designated and related services.

Strengths:

Needs:



Guidelines Standard 34. The program has an ongoing process for involving parents and the deaf and hard of hearing community in program development and encourages strong collaboration between school staff, parents, deaf and hard of hearing community members, and the business community. The program leadership employs a wide range of strategies to ensure that parental and community involvement is integral to the program’s established support system for students.

Strengths:

Needs:


128 Appendix A

Assessment Instruments

Appendix B Assessment Instruments Commonly Used with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

The following lists of Cognitive Assessment Instruments, Adaptive Behavior and Social-Emotional Assessment Instru

ments, Developmental/Criterion-Based and Parent Stress and/or Home Surveys, and Tests of Academic and Readiness

Skills have been compiled by the Gallaudet Research Institute. Anne B. Spragins, Ph.D., Lynne Biennerhassett, Ph.D. (both faculty members in the Psychology Department at Gallaudet University), and Yvonne Mullen, Ed.D. (Division of Psychology, Clarke School for the Deaf), have reviewed a variety of instruments for use with deaf and hard of hearing students. Those reviews are available at the Gallaudet Research Institute Web site at http://www.gallaudet.edu/~catraxle/INTELLEC.html#tests.

Cognitive Assessment Instruments

1. Wechsler Scales: WAIS-III, WISC-III, WPSSI-R: Performance Scales 2. Leiter International Performance Scale (Revised) 3. Hiskey-Nebraska Test of Learning Aptitude 4. Columbia Mental Maturity Scale 5. Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test 6. Merrill-Palmer Scale of Mental Tests 7. Smith-Johnson Nonverbal Performance Scale 8. Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Second edition) 9. Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children

129

10. Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (Third edition) 11. Raven’s Progressive Matrices 12. Central Institute for the Deaf Preschool Performance Scale 13. Matrix Analogies Test 14. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (Fourth edition) 15. Differential Ability Scales 16. Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence

Adaptive Behavior and Social-Emotional Assessment

I. Adaptive Behavior Measures

1. AAMR Adaptive Behavior Scales 2. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales 3. Scales of Independent Behavior

II. Rating Scales: Behavior and Social Skills

4. Meadow-Kendall Social-Emotional Assessment Inventories for Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Students

5. Child Behavior Checklist 6. Behavior Rating Profile (Second edition) 7. Conner’s Rating Scales 8. BASC (Behavior Assessment System for Children) 9. Social Skills Rating System

III. Self Concept and Other Self Report Scales

10. Piers-Harris Children’s Self Concept Scale (Revised) 11. Multidimensional Self Concept Scale 12. Joseph Pre-School and Primary Self Concept Screening Test 13. Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale 14. Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire 15. Children’s Depression Inventory 16. Reynold’s Adolescent Depression Scale

IV. Drawing/Projective Tests

17. The Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank (Second edition) 18. Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test 19. Draw-A-Person: Screening 20. House-Tree-Person Projective Drawing Technique 21. The Kinetic Family Drawing System for Family and School 22. Roberts Apperception Test for Children 23. TEMAS (Tell-Me-A-Story) 24. The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System

130 Appendix B

Developmental/Criterion-Based and Parent Stress and/or Home Surveys

1. Batelle Developmental Inventory 2. Bracken Basic Concept Scales 3. Brigance Inventory of Early Development 4. Callier-Azusa Scale 5. Developmental Activities Screening Inventory II 6. Developmental Profile II 7. Early Screening Profiles 8. Learning Accomplishment Profile (Revised edition) 9. Mullen Scales of Early Learning

10. Parenting Stress Index 11. Southern California Ordinal Scales of Development 12. Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment

Tests of Academic and Readiness Skills

I. Academic Skills

1. Stanford Achievement (Ninth edition) 2. Peabody Individual Achievement Test (Revised) 3. Keymath Revised: A Diagnostic Inventory of Essential Mathematics 4. Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests (Revised) 5. Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Basic Skills 6. Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery 7. Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement 8. Sequential Assessment of Mathematics Inventories 9. Test of Written Language (Third edition)

II. Readiness Skills

10. Bracken Basic Concept Scale 11. Test of Early Mathematics Ability (Second edition) 12. Test of Early Reading Ability—Deaf or Hard of Hearing 13. Metropolitan Readiness Tests (Sixth edition) 14. Test of Relation Concepts—Norms for Deaf Children

Speech and Language Assessments

The following list of assessments of speech and language skills was developed by interview with a number of teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students and speech and language specialists who serve deaf and hard of hearing students in California. This list is intended to serve as a guide to speech and language assessments commonly used with deaf and hard of hearing students in California. It is not an exhaustive list.

1. Southern California Ordinal Scales of Communication 2. Test of Auditory Comprehension 3. Assessment of Children’s Language Comprehension

Assessment Instruments 131

4. Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test 5. Woodcock-Johnson Revised (Selected language subtests) 6. Test of Written Language—3 7. Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test 8. Test of Auditory Discrimination 9. Test of Auditory Comprehension

10. Developmental Approach to Successful Listening 11. Rhode Island Test of Language Structure 12. Grammatical Analysis of Elicited Language 13. Carolina Picture Vocabulary Test 14. Conley-Vernon Idiom Test 15. Test of Syntactic Abilities 16. Dolch Sight Vocabulary Test 17. Craig Lipreading Inventory 18. Patterned Elicitation Syntax Test 19. Writing samples 20. Test of Problem Solving 21. Test of Language Competence

132 Appendix B

Assessment Instruments

Appendix C Model Standards for the Certification of Educational Interpreters for Deaf Students

Presented by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deafand the Council on Education of the Deafand reprinted with permission.

Preface

Educational interpreting is a profession that has grown in large part due to legislation. Public Law 94-142 made it pos

sible, through the use of interpreters, for deaf and hard of hearing children to attend their local public school with hearing peers. As a result, educational programs have become one of the largest employers of interpreters in the United States. As the field evolved, it has become a hybrid of education and interpreting. Often, interpreters in elementary and secondary schools found themselves without guidance since the primary emphasis in the field of interpretation had traditionally focused on working with adults. In 1985, the National Task Force on Educational Interpreting was formed to develop guidelines for interpreters, teachers, administrators, and consumers of interpreting services in the educational setting. The goal of the Task Force was to help educational interpreting become an increasingly valuable service in the education of mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing students and an increasingly satisfying and rewarding career for those who provide the service. The Task Force developed a document reporting on the role and responsibilities of educational interpreters. This led to the formation of the RID/CED Ad Hoc Committee on Educational Interpreter Standards. This document is a result of that Committee’s work.

133

The Standards

This document proposes model standards for the certification of educational interpreters working in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Five areas of competency and an Observation/Practicum were developed:

I. General Education

II. Foundations in Education and Deafness

III. Foundations in Interpretation

IV. Educational Interpreting

V. Communication and Educational Interpreting Skills

Within each area the listed competencies are not prioritized. An Observation/ Practicum provides direct experience in integrating the knowledge and skills taught in the competency areas.

The committee focused on the findings of the National Task Force and feedback from educators, educational interpreters, and interpreter trainers across the country. The committee recognizes that the provision of an interpreter, no matter how well qualified, does not in itself ensure complete access of a deaf student to the mainstream experience. It is the function of a student’s individualized education program (IEP) to spell out other factors contributing to a successful mainstream experience for that student. The committee does feel strongly that if an educational interpreter is required by the child’s IEP, the interpreter must be prepared to function effectively in the educational setting.

These model standards are presented for your consideration.

Part A. Competencies for Certification of Educational Interpreters

I. General Education

It is expected that the educational interpreter will be able to provide services in a wide variety of content areas within the school’s overall curriculum. In order to have the flexibility to provide educational interpreting services K–12, he or she must be able to draw on a broad spectrum of knowledge in the humanities, the sciences, and the arts, often collectively called general studies. The educational interpreter must have basic knowledge in the following:

A. English: Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, reading, writing, and literature. B. Humanities: Salient features of the humanities, philosophy, and the arts;

general understanding of major principles and/or events and significant figures.

C. Physical Sciences: Principles and common terms used in the physical sciences, including mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry, and in computer science.

D. Social Sciences: Major principles and/or events and significant figures in history, psychology, linguistics, sociology, and anthropology, with particular attention to human development and language development.

E. Public Speaking: Public speaking and acting techniques, use of appropriate voice presentation techniques, ability to convey information through facial expressions, body postures, pantomime.

134 Appendix C

F. Interpersonal Skills: Interpersonal communication techniques and skills, including the ability to interact effectively with peers, supervisors, children, and parents.

II. Foundations in Education and Deafness

Educational interpreters work with a variety of deaf and hard of hearing students of different ages and grade levels. To help ensure the successful functioning of these students in the mainstream, the role of the educational interpreter requires knowledge of, but not necessarily skill in, the following:

A. Communication: Group dynamics and human relations, cross-cultural communication issues, including deaf-hearing and multiethnic/ multicultural, communication modalities used by deaf individuals, including American Sign Language, Manually Coded English, Pidgin Sign English, Oral speech, speechreading, and Cued Speech; other communication techniques used with hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and deaf multihandicapped individuals.

B. Hearing impairment: Hearing impairment in children and adults, knowledge of definitions, etiologies, demographics; psychological, social, and cultural conditions; audiological assessment; use and maintenance of assistive listening devices; technical communication aids such as TDDs, decoders, signaling systems, etc.

C. Deaf and hard of hearing people in society: Deafness and the community, history, culture, community, family, and work; community organizations and agencies of and/or serving deaf and hard of hearing persons, their philosophies, relationships, and services.

D. Human development: Psychological, social, and language maturation stages; learning and its facilitation; age-appropriate behavior patterns; first and second language acquisition; relevance of childhood deafness to developmental processes.

E. Education: History, philosophies, organizational structures, issues, and trends at all educational levels; educational psychology.

F. Special education: The variety of handicapping conditions and special needs and services relative to education; public laws, policies, multidisciplinary team processes, and attitudes related to handicapped and other minority students; parenting the exceptional child.

G. Education of deaf and hard of hearing students: History, philosophies, and techniques in educating deaf and hard of hearing students in various types of programs; educational placement alternatives and demographics; special considerations for placement and services to deaf students with additional handicaps; parenting a deaf or hard of hearing child; laws, regulations, and policies affecting the education and placement of students; support services available to deaf students in regular and special schools; professional and parent organizations.

H. Major curriculum areas: Concepts and vocabulary used throughout the elementary and secondary level in academic, vocational, and extracurricular areas.

Model Standards for the Certification of Educational Interpreters 135

I. Interpersonal relations: Strategies for professionalism in attitudes, judgment, and behavior; flexibility and diplomacy; working with administrators, colleagues, students, parents, and others; conflict resolution.

III. Foundations in Interpretation

All interpreting requires a unique mental process. The educational interpreter should have a foundation in interpretation before beginning the study of educational interpreting. The interpreter must have knowledge of theory, psycholinguistics, and ethical behavior both in general and specific to the educational setting. The educational interpreter will have basic knowledge of the process of interpreting, and interpreting for deaf persons, in the following areas:

A. Theory: Theory and psycholinguistic processes involved in interpretation. B. Interpreting: History, settings, organizations, and certification processes;

interpreting as a career. C. Ethics: Codes of ethics and their applications to various settings. D. Research, trends, and issues: Interpretation; interpreting for deaf people. E. Physical considerations: Physical health and stress management, techniques

for reducing visual and physical fatigue and overload of both student and interpreter.

F. Techniques: Settings and situations, including group interpreting, one-to-one interpreting, telephone interpreting, interpreting to media, prioritizing input from multiple speakers and environmental noises for interpretation.

IV. Educational Interpreting

The role and function of the educational interpreter is unique to the educational setting. This specialized role calls for the integration of a number of different responsibilities. As a member of an educational team, the educational interpreter needs to be able to work cooperatively with numerous other persons and contribute specialized knowledge.

A. Roles and responsibilities: Variety of roles at different age/grade levels and in different educational settings, including attention, comprehension, behavior, vocabulary clarification, and responsibilities under the individualized education program.

B. Multidisciplinary team: Understand role and responsibilities of members of the multidisciplinary team and function of educational interpreter as a member of the team, including development, implementation, and revision of the individualized education program.

C. Ethical codes and standards: As applied to educational interpreting, including confidentiality, judging when to use verbatim sign-to-voice; professional behavior.

D. Student development: Encouraging student independence, including use of communication skills.

E. Educational support services: Tutoring techniques and responsibilities; note-taking; use of visuals; specialized seating.

F. Orientation to deafness: Information about teaching sign language and about deafness for the lay person; referral sources on general topics relating

136 Appendix C

to deafness; when, how, and to whom to make referrals; promoting an expanded communication environment for the deaf or hard of hearing student; fostering student participation in activities.

G. Communication comprehension: Monitoring student understanding in class using the communication method designated by the IEP.

H. Professional development: Planning a program of professional development for improving job-related skills.

V. Communication and Educational Interpreting Skills

Educational interpreters serve students with a variety of communication skills and styles. The skills of the educational interpreter are vital to the success of these students in mainstream settings. Therefore, the educational interpreter must demonstrate communication, interpretation, and/or transliteration skills in the following areas: A. Receptive Communication Skills: The educational interpreter should dem

onstrate the ability to understand students through speech, speechreading, signs, and/or Cued Speech, as appropriate. Educational interpreters specializing in the use of signs should demonstrate ability to understand a variety of students at different age levels in at least two of the following: ASL, MCE, PSE.

B. Expressive Communication Skills: The educational interpreter should demonstrate the ability to make himself/herself understood to a variety of students at a variety of age levels through speech, signs, and/or Cued Speech, as appropriate. Educational interpreters specializing in the use of signs should demonstrate the ability to make themselves understood to students in at least two of the following: ASL, MCE, PSE.

C. Educational Interpreting Skills: Skills to include are one or more of the following: 1. Interpret from spoken English to American Sign Language and from

American Sign Language to spoken English. 2. Transliterate from spoken English to Manually Coded English and from

Manually Coded English to spoken English. 3. Transliterate from spoken English to Pidgin Sign English and from

Pidgin Sign English to spoken English. 4. Orally transliterate from spoken English to visible English and from

visible English to spoken English. 5. Cue from spoken English to Cued Speech and from Cued Speech to

spoken English.

VI. Observation and Practicum

The multifaceted aspects of the educational interpreting task require observation and performance of the job roles and responsibilities in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The goal of the observation/practicum component is to provide direct experience in the application of competencies listed in sections I– V of this document. Educational interpreters will gain this experience through:

A. Observation: The educational interpreter should have an opportunity to observe and participate in a variety of levels and settings throughout his or her preparation.


B. Evaluation: The evaluation of skills for the mode in which the educational interpreter is receiving training (e.g., ASL interpreting, Cued Speech transliteration, oral transliteration, etc.) must be passed prior to a practicum placement.

C. Practicum Experience: It is recommended that a semester (or the equivalent) of full time practicum be required. Participation in at least two supervised practicum experiences at different educational levels and settings is recommended.

Part B. Suggested Routes to Certification as an Educational Interpreter

Certification as an Educational Interpreter K–12 is a very new concept. Mainstream placements for deaf and hard of hearing students increased markedly after the passage of Public Law 94-142 in 1975, and many of the individuals now working with these students began as instructional aides. Until recently there were no training programs focusing on educational interpreting K–12. The implementation of standards must take account of these facts and recognize the need of these individuals for certification while at the same time providing for certification of individuals completing newly developed programs of specialized training as educational interpreters.

I. Provisional Certification for Currently Working Educational Interpreters

This is a five-year, nonrenewable certificate for:

A. Persons who have completed a formal interpreter preparation program with a certificate of completion, AA degree, or higher.

B. Persons who have received interpreter certification from a statewide or nationally recognized organization or certifying body.

C. Persons who have been working for a minimum of four years as an educational interpreter in a K–12 setting.

138 Appendix C

The requirements for each of the above groups for the granting of a provisional certificate are A, B, or C:

Background Additional Requirement

A. Completion of interpreter prepa 1. Two years of full-time equivalent ration program with noneduca educational interpreting K–12 and tional interpreting focus. recommendation of supervisor; or

2. Documented evidence of satisfactory completion of 21 credits or CEUs or equivalent.

1. Two years of full-time equivalent nationally recognized organiza-

B. Certificate from statewide or educational interpreting K–12 and

tion or certifying body. recommendation of supervisor; or

2. Documented evidence of satisfactory completion of 21additional credits of CEUs or equivalent.

1. A skills evaluation recognized by time equivalent experience as an

C. A minimum of four years of full-a state- or national-level body.

educational interpreter K–12 with recommendation of supervisor.

Standard Certification for Currently Working Educational Interpreters

Standard certification may be obtained by individuals who have met all of the requirements for one of the provisional certification options listed above

PLUS

1. Documented evidence of satisfactory completion of 21 additional credits or CEUs in educational interpreting areas within the preceding five years.

AND

2. A minimum of two years successful experience at the K–12 level, with recommendation by supervisor.

II. For Individuals Graduating from Educational Interpreter Preparation Programs Designed to Develop the Competencies Approved by the CED/RID

I. Provisional Certification

Provisional certification will be automatically granted to graduates of Educational Interpreter Preparation Programs whose programs cover the competencies approved by the CED/RID. This certification is for a five-year period and is not renewable.

II. Standard Certification

The standard certification will be granted to Educational Interpreter Preparation Program graduates who receive Provisional Certification upon the completion of two years of successful work experience at the K–12 level upon the recommendation of their supervisor.


Appendix D

Appendix DCalifornia Commission on Teacher Credentialing Standards for Teachers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students December 1996

Background Statement

Most people take communication and language for granted so

hearing loss, as well as the psychological and social implications.

that it is hard to imagine the impact deafness or a hearing loss can have in these areas and on educational achievement. Few

teachers are aware of the educational implications of deafness or a

Fewer are aware of the existence of the deaf community and Deaf culture. The degree of loss, age of onset, usefulness or non-usefulness of amplification, family background, language used in the home, family support, types of special adaptations introduced and at what age, and many other factors make the task of educating deaf and hard of hearing students unique, challenging and complicated.

Decisions must be made by the home and the school as to the type of communication to be employed—speech and amplification only, Cued Speech, American Sign Language, or a signed English system. Decisions must be made about the optimal placement to foster educational growth—the neighborhood school, with or without support services, a centralized program in a local elementary or secondary school, or a school exclusively for deaf and hard of hearing students. In addition, there are considerations concerning the curricula to be followed and the required adaptations, if any, which need to be made. There are also considerable challenges in working with the increasingly multicultural deaf and hard of hearing students who come from homes where English is not spoken. A sizable number of recent immigrants appear in middle or high

140

school with no prior formal education, no command of any language, only rudimentary communication at home, and no formal communication skills to use for learning.

For these reasons, teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students need specialized preparation. They need the same skills in curricular development, lesson planning, behavior management, and assessment as do all teachers, but at every step they must be aware of the effect deafness or a hearing loss may have on the delivery or reception of the results and spontaneously implement accommodations. They must also have the skills to develop optimal communication and literacy skills in students who do not hear the language spoken in their environment and who may approach reading with no concept of the structural meaning of an English sentence. The uniqueness of the professional responsibilities of a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students is highlighted by the fact that the American Annals of the Deaf is the oldest professional journal in the United States.

The teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students must be able to respond to all of these challenges and must be prepared to educate individuals from birth to age 22, including those with multiple disabilities. Skills are needed to work with parents of children to establish effective family communication with the child; to include an understanding of the culture to which the family belongs and their view of deafness or hearing loss. An understanding of normal child and language development is crucial, including the techniques for fostering such development with deaf and hard of hearing children. The teacher must be able to address the normal stresses of puberty while understanding and compensating for the psychological and social aspects of deafness. The teacher must be aware of the potential for inaccurate assessments by evaluators not skilled in the means of communication used by the child and be able to obtain accurate assessments and interpret them appropriately. The teacher must be knowledgeable of the related services to request in order to meet the individual student’s unique needs. The teacher must be knowledgeable about the many aspects of Deaf culture and the services and social opportunities for growth available in the deaf community and be able to foster the student’s independence and social and emotional growth as a deaf or hard of hearing person.

It is for all these reasons that the Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) offers national certification as a teacher of deaf students. It is for these reasons that many states, including California, that prepare teachers for working with special students recognize the need for special training and certification for teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students. The challenges are enormous, the responsibility great. Deaf and hard of hearing students are most certainly affected by the quality of their teachers. For students to become useful, productive, contributing, well-adjusted citizens, their teachers must receive the best possible preparation to meet their unique needs. Failure to produce such teachers can mean not only educational failure for this segment of our population, but personal and social failure as well, with a resulting ultimate cost to society.

California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Standards 141

Standards for Level I Education Specialist Credential: Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Standard 22: Development of Professional Perspectives

Each candidate demonstrates an understanding of essential themes, concepts, and issues related to philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education and education of deaf and hard of hearing students. Each candidate is able to apply an understanding of the models and theories of deaf education and demonstrate sensitivity to varied beliefs and cultural differences in their contact with deaf and hard of hearing children.

Rationale

To become fully professional, prospective teachers must begin to develop philosophical and methodological perspectives that are based on consideration of fundamental issues, theories, and research in deaf education. Students must also be aware of perspectives other than their own.

Factors to Consider

The following factors serve as a guide for initial program design and ongoing program evaluation:

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of the historical and legal foundations of deaf education.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of the models, theories, current research, and philosophies that provide the basis for educational practice in deaf education.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of variations in beliefs, traditions, and values across cultures (including Deaf culture).

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of the impact of the various educational placement options with regard to cultural identity, linguistic, academic, and social-emotional development.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of educational trends related to communication and language development of deaf and hard of hearing students.

• The program meets other factors related to this standard of quality brought to the attention of the team by the institution.

Standard 23: Characteristics of Learners

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of research and issues on learner characteristics that are unique to deaf and hard of hearing students, ages birth to 22, including those with multiple disabilities.

Rationale

Deaf and hard of hearing students share many characteristics of hearing learners, including diversity in learning styles. Each candidate must be familiar with the additional learning, social, and physical characteristics that are unique to deaf and hard of hearing individuals, including those with additional disabilities.

142 Appendix D

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate examines various factors affecting family and child development, including the effect of early communication on the overall development of the child.

• Each candidate is aware of the impact of various etiologies, age at onset and at identification, and age at provision of services for deaf and hard of hearing children.

• Each candidate is knowledgeable about various levels of hearing and visual ability, differences between auditory and visual learners, and the educational implications of both.

• Each candidate is knowledgeable of the potential educational and social impact of additional disabilities and can recognize and support students who need specialized services for their multiple disabilities, which are beyond the capacity of the teacher to provide.

• Each candidate is familiar with communication features (visual, spatial, tactile, and/or auditory) salient to individual learners.

• Each candidate examines research in cognition related to children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

• Each candidate examines, evaluates and explains commonalities and individual differences in the areas of communication, cognition, and social-emotional development of deaf and hard of hearing children.


Standard 24: Communication Skill Development

Each candidate demonstrates for deaf and hard of hearing students those communicative skills necessary to motivate and sustain student interest, teach effectively, and develop student communication skills and literacy.

Rationale

Teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students have unique responsibilities for developing their own communication skills in languages and modalities appropriate for their students. They also have unique responsibilities for developing the communication skills of their students.

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of information related to American Sign Language and existing communication modes used by students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

• Each candidate demonstrates competence in the language(s) and/or mode the beginning teacher will use to instruct students who are deaf or hard of hearing in a means determined by the program, demonstrated by fieldwork, including interactions with deaf adults.


• Each candidate demonstrates the knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to develop language and communication skills in deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to facilitate independent communication by deaf and hard of hearing students in a variety of environments.


Standard 25: Student Assessment

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of formal and informal assessment practices related to deaf and hard of hearing students ages birth to 22 including terminology, legal provisions, regulations, guidelines, and adaptations necessary for an appropriate evaluation.

Rationale

Teachers must properly and adequately identify the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students to effectively guide their learning and plan appropriate instruction in a classroom.

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to select, adapt, administer, interpret and explain assessments and make accommodations in relation to a deaf and hard of hearing student’s placement and progress in an educational program.

• Each candidate understands the value of qualitative and quantitative assessment and appropriate applications of each.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of the legal provisions, regulations and guidelines regarding unbiased diagnostic assessments and use of appropriate formal and informal assessment measures for deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate understands the importance of appropriate assessment using the preferred language and communication modality of the deaf and hard of hearing student.

• Each candidate understands the importance of collaborating with the family for identifying the effect of home environment on the learner’s development.


Standard 26: Instructional Techniques

Each candidate demonstrates an understanding of and ability to plan, manage, and implement effective instruction for deaf and hard of hearing students, ages birth to 22, including those with additional disabilities, in diverse learning environments.

Rationale

To be well prepared to conduct daily teaching responsibilities, candidates must be acquainted with managing effective learning environments and using

144 Appendix D

effective teaching practices. Such practices must incorporate an understanding of individual linguistic, academic, and social needs and the impact of different cultures, ethnicities, gender, socioeconomic status, and handicapping conditions.

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to facilitate the development of cognitive, academic, communication, and social skills of deaf and hard of hearing children.

• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to modify or design an appropriate learning environment to meet individual deaf and hard of hearing student needs and learning styles, including those with additional disabilities.

• Each candidate examines classroom practices, instructional strategies, technologies, and materials that promote educational achievement of deaf and hard of hearing students in various types of placement options, such as self-contained classes, residential schools, and itinerant.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of acoustical, visual, and safety environmental modifications critical for deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate demonstrates an understanding of the infusion of appropriate media, technology, and assistive/augmentative devices into the learning process for deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to provide instruction for deaf and hard of hearing students in skills relevant to independent living in the community, self-advocacy, and employment.

• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to plan and implement instruction about deafness-related topics, both as separate topics and infused throughout the curriculum.


Standard 27: Managing Student Behavior and Social Interaction Skills

Each candidate demonstrates the ability to motivate, manage student conduct, and foster appropriate social interactions with deaf and hard of hearing students ages birth to 22.

Rationale

Appropriate student behavior and interaction depend on appropriate motivation. Prospective teachers must be prepared to stimulate student interest and involvement in varied activities while maintaining appropriate student conduct. They must also be able to foster student interaction with deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing peers.

Factors to Consider



• Each candidate is able to identify teacher attitudes and behaviors that influence student behavior.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of and the ability to implement classroom behavioral management techniques.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of strategies for promoting interactions of deaf and hard of hearing students with individuals in a variety of environments, including home, school, and community.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of appropriate uses of school and community resources and services for deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to teach culturally and socially acceptable behaviors (including Deaf culture) in a variety of environments relevant to both deaf and hearing settings.


Standard 28: Communication and Collaborative Partnerships

Each candidate demonstrates the ability to work cooperatively with other service providers and understand their respective roles and responsibilities in meeting the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students.

Rationale

Many individuals work cooperatively in serving the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students. Each teacher of these students must be prepared to interact effectively with all members of the educational team.

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate is able to demonstrate knowledge of local, state, and national resources available for school personnel, student and family, including educational options and communication modes/philosophies for deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate is knowledgeable of the roles of various support personnel, such as aides, interpreters, and tutors, and how to use this support effectively with deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate is given the opportunity to demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with the deaf community and with other service providers to collect data, set goals, develop action plans, and solve problems.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of effects of communication on family relationships and strategies to facilitate communication between a deaf and hard of hearing individual and their family/caregivers.


Standard 29: Professionalism and Ethical Practices

Each candidate adheres to high standards of professional conduct, cooperates effectively with other adults within the school community, and develops

146 Appendix D

professionally through self-assessment and collegial interactions with other members of the profession who serve deaf and hard of hearing students.

Rationale

Teachers have obligations as members of a profession and a school community to develop professionally. They must analyze and assess their own practices and engage in collegial relationships with other members of the profession.

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate demonstrates an awareness of biases affecting teaching and develops the ability to convey unbiased information to parents concerning language and communication, placement, and services options for their deaf or hard of hearing child.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of local, state, and national resources for professional growth, including resources to enhance his or her own communication and interaction skills with deaf and hard of hearing adults.

• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to interact with a variety of deaf and hard of hearing individuals on an adult-to-adult level.

• Each candidate identifies his or her own cultural and professional biases in deaf education that affect one’s teaching.

• Each candidate will demonstrate a commitment toward ongoing development of a high level of competence in specialized skills requisite for teaching deaf and hard of hearing students, particularly communication.


Standards for Professional Level II Education Specialist Credential: Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Standard 13: Advancement of Personal Communication Skills

Each Level II candidate demonstrates advanced personal communication skills which are necessary to effectively interact with the deaf and hard of hearing students with whom they work. Each candidate demonstrates an advanced level of communication skills, compared with that required in Level I.

Rationale

Effective instruction is dependent upon an accessible communication environment for deaf and hard of hearing students. Teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students must continually strive to improve in their ability to interact effectively with deaf and hard of hearing students and with members of the deaf community.

Factors to Consider



• Each candidate demonstrates increased proficiency in the language(s) and/ or modes used by students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

• Each candidate demonstrates increased proficiency in the language(s) and/ or modes used by deaf adults who constitute the deaf community.

• Each candidate demonstrates an understanding of current research related to the language(s) and/or modes used by students who are deaf or hard of hearing.


Standard 14: Special Populations Within the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community

Each Level II candidate demonstrates advanced knowledge and skills related to effective assessment and instruction of deaf and hard of hearing students with special needs.

Rationale

There has been an increase in the number of deaf and hard of hearing students having special needs. Candidates must be knowledgeable of the characteristics of special needs populations, which in addition to the hearing loss, require special modifications and instructional considerations. Educators must be aware of services available for individual students whose unique needs require specialized services.

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate is knowledgeable about the impact of physical, mental and learning disabilities on the development of communication skills and learning for deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate demonstrates alternative teaching strategies and instructional delivery adjustments in relation to educating special needs deaf and hard of hearing students.

• Each candidate is knowledgeable about options and is able to access options which are available for special needs students, such as the deaf-blind population, whose unique characteristics profoundly affect the teaching and learning process.

• Each candidate identifies special techniques that are successful in working with deaf and hard of hearing students and their families from diverse cultural backgrounds including older students with no previous formal education.

• Each candidate identifies local, state, and national resources to assist in a greater understanding of special needs deaf and hard of hearing populations.


148 Appendix D

Standard 15: Early Childhood Intervention and Education

Each Level II candidate demonstrates knowledge of and ability to assess deaf and hard of hearing infants and to plan, coordinate, collaborate, and/or implement an appropriate program for infants and their families.

Rationale

Infants and young children who are deaf and hard of hearing and who do not hear language spoken in their environment have unique communication needs. The first five years of life are critical for developing a foundation for learning. Communication and cognitive development are a primary focus. Teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students at the early childhood level must have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide learning opportunities at this critical stage of development.

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate demonstrates an increased understanding of the potential impact of hearing loss on aspects of early development, including the development of language and communication skills.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge about the impact of a hearing loss on the infant-care provider relationship which may impact later cognitive and linguistic development.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of typical and atypical development of infants and young children in six developmental areas, including gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, communication, social–emotional, and daily living skills.

• Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of age-specific, disability-appro-priate assessment tools and the ability to assess infants and young children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to develop, coordinate, and/or implement an appropriate program for deaf and hard of hearing infants and young children and their families.

• Each candidate demonstrates the knowledge and ability to access other community resources and state agencies that serve infants and young children with hearing losses and their families.

• Each candidate demonstrates the ability to cite federal and state law and regulations that support early intervention.

• Each candidate demonstrates skill as a service coordinator of families and agencies in developing a multidisciplinary team service plan.


Standard 16: Involvement With the Deaf Community

Each Level II candidate utilizes interaction opportunities with deaf and hard of hearing adults.


Rationale

Teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students have the responsibility of promoting in students and their families an awareness of and respect for the lifestyles and achievements of deaf and hard of hearing adults. This cannot be accomplished unless teachers are themselves aware of and comfortable in interaction opportunities with deaf and hard of hearing adults.

Factors to Consider


• Each candidate demonstrates awareness of interaction opportunities with deaf and hard of hearing adults at the local, state, and national levels.

• Each candidate develops a plan for personal ongoing interaction with deaf and hard of hearing adults.

• Each candidate demonstrates a plan to inform deaf and hard of hearing students and their families of interaction opportunities and fosters their participation.


150 Appendix D

Standards of the Council on Education of the Deaf

Appendix EStandards of the Council on Education of the Deaf for eachers of Deaf andTHard of Hearing Students

Preamble The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Council

on Education of the Deaf (CED), working together, developed the CEC-CED Joint Knowledge and Skills Document presented

below. This document is a set of 66 statements specific to the education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) and is an expansion of the 107 CEC Common Core Knowledge and Skills statements. Both sets of statements are used together and form standards for judging whether individuals have the necessary knowledge and skills to begin teaching (license/certification) or whether professional teacher preparation programs have met national standards (accreditation).

The Knowledge and Skills document assumes commitment by universities and colleges to a full continuum of options both for students who are deaf/ hard of hearing and for teacher preparation programs regarding choice of philosophy under which each program operates. Inherent in the overall process are three basic assumptions:

1) Each teacher preparation program provides a clear philosophy and mission statement which describes its approach to education of learners who are deaf/hard of hearing, including clarification of communication and teaching philosophy(ies) and practice(s);

2) Each program designs foundation courses and experiences consistent with its philosophy(ies) and practice(s) which address diverse needs, both generic and specific, of learners who are deaf/hard of hearing; and

151

3) Each program is evaluated by professionals with backgrounds similar to that stated in the philosophy/mission statement.

For the purposes of this document, the following definitions of terminology have been identified:

1) The term “communication” includes all avenues, verbal and nonverbal, through which we represent information. Communication includes, but is not limited to English in all forms, whether signed, spoken, or written, American Sign Language (ASL), other formal languages, and nonverbal communication acts.

2) The term “language” means any and all formal languages, spoken, signed, or otherwise represented.

3) The terms “deaf” and “hard of hearing” are considered within a cultural, educational, audiological, and/or medical context consistent with each program’s philosophy/mission statement.

I. Philosophical, Historical, and Legal Foundations of SpecialEducation: Knowledge and Skills Beyond Common Core

A. Knowledge

1. Current educational definitions of students with hearing loss, including identification criteria, labeling issues, and current incidence and prevalence figures.

2. Models, theories, and philosophies (e.g., bilingual-bicultural, total communication, oral/aural) that provide the basis for educational practice(s) for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, as consistent with program philosophy.

3. Variations in beliefs, traditions, and values across cultures and within society, and the effect of the relationships among children who are deaf/ hard of hearing, their families, and schooling.

4. Issues in the definition of and identification procedures for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing (e.g., cultural vs. medical perspective).

5. Rights and responsibilities (e.g., Deaf Children’s Bill of Rights) of parents, students, teachers, and schools as they relate to students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

6. The impact of various educational placement options (from the perspective of the needs of any given child who is deaf/hard of hearing and consistent with the program philosophy) with regard to cultural identity, linguistic, academic, and social-emotional development.

B. Skills

7. Apply understanding of theory, philosophy and models of practice to the education of students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

8. Articulate pros and cons of current issues and trends in special education and the field of education of children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

9. Identify the major contributors to the growth and improvement of past-to-present knowledge and practice in the field of education of children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

152 Appendix E

II. Characteristics of Learners:Knowledge and Skills Beyond the Common Core

A. Knowledge

10. Communication features (visual, spatial, tactile, and/or auditory) salient to the learner who is deaf/hard of hearing which are necessary to enhance cognitive, emotional, and social development.

11. Research in cognition related to children who are deaf/hard of hearing. 12. Cultural dimensions to add to the life of a child who is deaf/hard of

hearing. 13. Various etiologies that can result in additional sensory, motor, and/or

learning differences in students who are deaf/hard of hearing. 14. Effects of families and/or primary caregivers on the overall develop

ment of the child who is deaf/hard of hearing. 15. Effect that onset of hearing loss, age of identification, and provision of

services have on the development of the child who is deaf/hard of hearing.

16. Impact of early comprehensible communication on the development of the child who is deaf/hard of hearing.

17. Recognition that being deaf or hard of hearing alone does not necessarily preclude normal academic development, cognitive development, or communication ability.

18. The differences in quality and quantity of incidental language/learning experiences which deaf/hard of hearing children may experience.

19. Effects of sensory input on development of language and cognition of children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

B. Skills (none in addition to core)

III. Assessment, Diagnosis, and Evaluation:Knowledge and Skills Beyond the Common Core

A. Knowledge

20. Specialized terminology used in the assessments of children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

21. Components of an adequate evaluation for eligibility placement and program planning (e.g. , interpreters, special tests) decisions for students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

22. Legal provisions, regulations and guidelines regarding unbiased diagnostic assessment, and use of instructional assessment measures with students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

23. Special policies regarding referral and placement procedures (e.g., Federal Policy Guidance, Oct. 30, 1992) for students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

B. Skills

24. Administer appropriate assessment tools utilizing the natural/native/ preferred language of the student who is deaf/hard of hearing.

Standards of the Council on Education of the Deaf 153

25. Gather and analyze communication samples from students who are deaf/hard of hearing, including nonverbal as well as linguistic acts.

26. Use exceptionality-specific assessment instruments (e.g., SAT-HI, TERADHH, FSST) appropriate for students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

IV. Instructional Content and Practice:Knowledge and Skills Beyond Common Core

A. Knowledge

27. Sources of specialized materials for students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

28. Components of the non-linguistic and linguistic communication which students who are deaf/hard of hearing use.

29. The procedures and technologies required to educate students who are deaf/hard of hearing under one or more of the existing modes or philosophies (consistent with program philosophy).

30. Information related to ASL and existing communication modes used by students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

31. Current theories of how languages (e.g., ASL and English) develop in children who are hearing and who are deaf/hard of hearing.

32. Subject matter and practices used in general education across content areas.

33. Ways to facilitate cognitive and communicative development in students who are deaf/hard of hearing (e.g., visual saliency) consistent with program philosophy.

34. Techniques of stimulation and utilization of residual hearing in students who are deaf/hard of hearing consistent with program philosophy.

35. Research supported instructional strategies and practice for teaching students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

B. Skills

36. Demonstrate proficiency in the language(s) the beginning teacher will use to instruct students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

37. Demonstrate characteristics of various existing communication modes used with students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

38. Select, design, produce, and utilize media, materials, and resources required to educate students who are deaf/hard of hearing under one or more of the existing modes or philosophies (e.g., bilingual-bicultural, total communication, aural/oral).

39. Infuse speech skills into academic areas as consistent with mode or philosophy espoused and ability of student who is deaf/hard of hearing.

40. Modify instructional process and classroom environment to meet the physical, cognitive, cultural, and communication needs of the child who is deaf/hard of hearing (e.g., teacher’s style, acoustic environment, availability of support services, availability of appropriate technologies).

41. Facilitate independent communication behavior in children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

154 Appendix E

42. Apply first and second language teaching strategies (e.g., English through ASL or ESL) appropriate to the needs of the individual student who is deaf/hard of hearing and consistent with program philosophy.

43. Demonstrate ability to modify incidental language experiences to fit the visual and other sensory needs of children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

44. Provide appropriate activities for students who are deaf/hard of hearing to promote literacy in English and/or ASL.

V. Planning and Managing the Teaching and Learning Environment: Knowledge and Skills Beyond Common Core

A. Knowledge

45. Deaf cultural factors that may influence classroom management of students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

46. Model programs, including career/vocational and transition, that have been effective for students with hearing losses.

B. Skills

47. Manage assistive/augmentative devices appropriate for students who are deaf/hard of hearing in learning environments.

48. Select, adapt, and implement classroom management strategies for students who are deaf/hard of hearing that reflect understanding of each child’s cultural needs, including primarily visual Deaf culture where appropriate.

49. Design a classroom environment that maximizes opportunities for visually oriented and/or auditory learning in students who are deaf/ hard of hearing.

50. Plan and implement instruction for students who are deaf/hard of hearing and who have multiple disabilities and special needs.

VI. Managing Student Behavior and Social Interaction Skills:Knowledge and Skills Beyond Common Core

A. Knowledge

51. Processes for establishing ongoing interactions of students who are deaf/hard of hearing with peers and role models who are deaf/hard of hearing.

52. Opportunities for interaction with communities of individuals who are deaf/hard of hearing on a local, state, and national level.

B. Skills

53. Prepare students who are deaf/hard of hearing in the appropriate use of interpreters.

Standards of the Council on Education of the Deaf 155

VII. Communication and Collaborative Partnerships:Knowledge and Skills Beyond Common Core

A. Knowledge

54. Available resources to help parents of children who are deaf/hard of hearing deal with their concerns regarding educational options and communication modes/philosophies for their children.

55. Roles and responsibilities of teachers and support personnel in educational practice for deaf/hard of hearing (e.g., educational interpreters, tutors, note-takers, etc.).

56. Effects of communication on the development of family relationships and strategies used to facilitate communication in families with children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

57. Services provided by governmental and non-governmental agencies or individuals in the ongoing management of children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

B. Skills

58. Teach students who are deaf/hard of hearing to use support personnel effectively (e.g., educational interpreters, tutors, note-takers, etc.)

59. Facilitate communication between the child who is deaf/hard ofhearing and his family/caregivers.

60. Facilitate coordination of support personnel (e.g., interpreters) to meet the diverse communication needs of the student who is deaf/hard of hearing and/or primary caregivers.

VIII. Professionalism and Ethical Practices:Knowledge and Skills Beyond Common Core

A. Knowledge

61. Ability to seek out process for acquiring the needed skills in modes/ philosophies of education of students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

62. Consumer and professional organizations, publications, and journals relevant to the field of education of students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

B. Skills

63. Actively seek interaction with adults in the deaf community to main-tain/improve ASL, English signs, or Cues as consistent with program philosophy.

64. Demonstrate ability to interact with a variety of individuals who are deaf/hard of hearing on an adult-to-adult level.

65. Provide families with the knowledge and skills to make appropriate choices needed to enhance development and transition of their children who are deaf/hard of hearing.

66. Participate in the activities of professional organizations relevant to the education of students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

156 Appendix E

Standards of the Council on Education of the Deaf

Appendix FCalifornia Assembly Bill 1836:Deaf Children’sBill of Rights, 1994Chapter 1126

An act to amend Sections 56000.5, 56001, and 56345 of, and to add Section 56026.2 to, the Education Code, relating to special education, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect

immediately.

(Approved by the Governor on September 29, 1994. Filed with the Secretary of State on September 30, 1994)

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST AB 1836, Eastin. Special Education: hard of hearing or deaf pupils.

(1) Existing law expresses the intent of the Legislature that special education programs include certain elements for each individual with exceptional needs, including offering individuals with exceptional needs programs that promote maximum interaction with the general school population.

This bill would add to those provisions the intent of the Legislature that those programs for hard of hearing or deaf children take into consideration the individual’s needs for age and language mode peers and for special education teachers who are proficient in the individual’s primary language mode.

(2) Existing law makes certain findings and declarations relating to pupils with low-incidence disabilities.

This bill would add to those findings and declarations provisions relating to hard of hearing or deaf pupils.

(3) Existing law requires an individualized education program team to produce a written statement of the individualized education program for each

157

pupil with exceptional needs. The statement must address certain factors and the program must include certain provisions.

This bill, in addition, would declare the intent of the Legislature that for hard of hearing or deaf pupils the program include a determination of the specific communication needs of the pupil, and make a placement determination that is consistent with those needs, specified federal law and regulations, and specified legislative findings, in accordance with prescribed considerations.

The bill would also state that the cost of certain additional responsibilities and services associated with the communication needs of the pupil and the placement determination are to be paid from existing funding sources, as specified, except the General Fund, that training is to be conducted within existing staff development programs, and those training activities are to be consistent with other staff development statutory provisions, as specified.

The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to ensure that state law complies with the requirements of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The bill would provide that designated provisions shall be implemented only to the extent that funds are specifically appropriated for that purpose in the annual Budget Act.

(4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agenciesand school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement, including thecreation of a State Mandates Claims fund to pay the costs of mandates whichdo not exceed $1,000,000.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determinesthat this bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for thosecosts shall be made pursuant to those statutory procedures and, if the statewide cost does not exceed $1,000,000, shall be made from the State MandatesClaims Fund.

(5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgencystatute.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 56000.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:

56000.5. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that:

(1) Pupils with low-incidence disabilities, as a group, make up less than 1percent of the total statewide enrollment for kindergarten through grade 12.

(2) Pupils with low-incidence disabilities require highly specialized services,equipment, and materials.

(b) The Legislature further finds and declares that:

(1) Deafness involves the most basic of human needs - the ability to communi-cate with other human beings. Many hard of hearing and deaf children use anappropriate communication mode, sign language, which may be their primarylanguage, while others express and receive language orally and aurally, with or

158 Appendix F

without visual signs or cues. Still others, typically young hard of hearing and deaf children, lack any significant language skills. It is essential for the wellbeing and growth of hard of hearing and deaf children that educational programs recognize the unique nature of deafness and ensure that all hard of hearing and deaf children have appropriate, ongoing, and fully accessible educational opportunities.

(2) It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have an education in which their unique communication mode is respected, utilized, and developed to an appropriate level of proficiency.

(3) It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children have an education in which special education teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, assessors, administrators, and other special education personnel understand the unique nature of deafness and are specifically trained to work with hard of hearing and deaf pupils. It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children have an education in which their special education teachers are proficient in the primary language mode of those children.

(4) It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have an education with a sufficient number of language mode peers with whom they can communicate directly and who are the same, or approximately the same, age and ability level.

(5) It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children have an education in which their parents and, where appropriate, hard of hearing and deaf people are involved in determining the extent, content, and purpose of programs.

(6) Hard of hearing and deaf children would benefit from an education in which they are exposed to hard of hearing and deaf role models.

(7) It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have programs in which they have direct and appropriate access to all components of the educational process, including, but not limited to, recess, lunch, and extracurricular social and athletic activities.

(8) It is essential that hard of hearing and deaf children, like all children, have programs in which their unique vocational needs are provided for, including appropriate research, curricula, programs, staff, and outreach.

(9) Each hard of hearing and deaf child should have a determination of the least restrictive environment that takes into consideration these legislative findings and declarations.

(10) Given their unique communication needs, hard of hearing and deaf children would benefit from the development and implementation of regional programs for children with low-incidence disabilities.

SEC. 2. Section 56001 of the Education Code is amended to read:

56001. It is the intent of the Legislature that special education programs provide all of the following:

(a) Each individual with exceptional needs is assured an education appropriate to his or her needs in publicly supported programs through completion of

California Assembly Bill 1836 159

his or her prescribed course of study or until the time that he or she has met proficiency standards prescribed pursuant to Sections 51215 and 51216.

(b) By June 30, 1991, early educational opportunities shall be available to allchildren between the ages of three and five years who require special education and services.

(c) Early educational opportunities shall be made available to children younger than three years of age pursuant to Chapter 4.4 (commencing with Section 56425), appropriate sections of this part, and the California Early Intervention Service Act, Title 14 (commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code.

(d) Any child younger than three years, potentially eligible for special education shall be afforded the protections provided pursuant to the California Early Intervention Services Act, Title 14 (commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code and Section 1480 of title 20 of the United States Code and implementing regulations.

(e) Each individual with exceptional needs shall have his or her educationalgoals, objectives, and special education and related services specified in a written individualized education program.

(f) Education programs are provided under an approved local plan for special education that sets forth the elements of the programs in accordance with this part. This plan for special education shall be developed cooperatively with input from the community advisory committee and appropriate representation from special and regular teachers and administrators selected by the groups they represent to ensure effective participation and communication.

(g) Individuals with exceptional needs are offered special assistance programs that promote maximum interaction with the general school population in a manner that is appropriate to the needs of both, taking into consideration, for hard of hearing and deaf children, the individual’s need for a sufficient number of age and language mode peers and for special education teachers who are proficient in the individual’s primary language mode.

(h) Pupils be transferred out of special education programs when special education services are no longer needed.

(i) The unnecessary use of labels is avoided in providing special education and related services for individuals with exceptional needs.

(j) Procedures and materials for assessment and placement of individuals with exceptional needs shall be selected and administered so as not to be racially, culturally, or sexually discriminatory. No single assessment instrument shall be the sole criterion for determining placement of a pupil. The procedures and materials for assessment and placement shall be in the individual’s mode of communication. Procedures and materials for use with pupils of limited English proficiency, as defined in subdivision (m) of Section 52163, shall be in the individual’s primary language. All assessment materials and procedures shall be selected and administered pursuant to Section 56320.

(k) Educational programs are coordinated with other public and private agencies, including preschools, child development programs, nonpublic

160 Appendix F

nonsectarian schools, regional occupational centers and programs, and postsecondary and adult programs for individuals with exceptional needs.

(l) Psychological and health services for individuals with exceptional needsshall be available to each schoolsite.

(m) Continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of these special education programs by the school district, special education local plan area, or county office shall be made to ensure the highest quality educational offerings.

(n) Appropriate qualified staff are employed, consistent with credentialing requirements, to fulfill the responsibilities of the local plan and positive efforts are made to employ qualified handicapped individuals.

(o) Regular and special education personnel are adequately prepared to provide educational instruction and services to individuals with exceptional needs.

(p) This section shall remain in effect only until California terminates its participation in special education programs for individuals with exceptional needs between the ages of three and five years, pursuant to Section 56448, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 2.5. Section 56001 of the Education Code is amended to read:

56001. It is the intent of the Legislature that special education programs provide all of the following:

(a) Each individual with exceptional needs is assured an education appropriate to his or her needs in publicly supported programs through completion of his or her prescribed course of study or until the time that he or she has met proficiency standards prescribed pursuant to Sections 51215 and 51216.

(b) Early educational opportunities are available to all children between the ages of three and four years and nine months who require intensive special education and services.

(c) Early educational opportunities shall be made available to children younger than three years of age pursuant to Chapter 4.4 (commencing with Section 56425), appropriate sections of this part, and the California Early Intervention Service Act, Title 14 (commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code.

(d) Any child younger than three years, potentially eligible for special education, shall be afforded the protections provided pursuant to the California Early Intervention Service Act, Title 14 (commencing with Section 95000) of the Government Code and Section 1480 of Title 20 of the United States Code and implementing regulations.

(e) Each individual with exceptional needs shall have his or her educationalgoals, objectives, and special education and related services specified in a written individualized education program.

(f) Education programs are provided under an approved local plan for special education that sets forth the elements of the programs in accordance with the provisions of this part. This plan for special education shall be developed


cooperatively with input from the community advisory committee and appropriate representation from special and regular teachers and administrators selected by the groups they represent to ensure effective participation and communication.

(g) Individuals with exceptional needs are offered special assistance programs that promote maximum interaction with the general school population in a manner which is appropriate to the needs of both, taking into consideration, for hard of hearing or deaf children, the individual’s needs for a sufficient number of age and language mode peers and for special education teachers who are proficient in the individual’s primary language mode.

(h) Pupils be transferred out of special education programs when special education services are no longer needed.

(i) The unnecessary use of labels is avoided in providing special education and related services for individuals with exceptional needs.

(j) Procedures and materials for assessment and placement of individuals with exceptional needs shall be selected and administered so as not to be racially, culturally, or sexually discriminatory. No single assessment instrument shall be the sole criterion for determining placement of a pupil. The procedures and materials for assessment and placement shall be in the individual’s mode of communication. Procedures and materials for use with pupils of limited English proficiency as defined in subdivision (m) of Section 52163, shall be in the individual’s primary language. All assessment materials and procedures shall be selected and administered pursuant to Section 56320.

(k) Educational programs are coordinated with other public and private agencies, including preschools, child development programs, nonpublic, nonsectarian schools, regional occupational centers and programs, and postsecondary and adult programs for individuals with exceptional needs.

(l) Psychological and health services for individuals with exceptional needsshall be available to each schoolsite.

(m) Continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of these special education programs by the school district, special education local plan area, or county office shall be made to ensure the highest quality educational offerings.

(n) Appropriate qualified staff are employed, consistent with credentialing requirements, to fulfill the responsibilities of the local plan and positive efforts are made to employ qualified handicapped individuals.

(o) Regular and special education personnel are adequately prepared to provide educational instruction and services to individuals with exceptional needs.

(p) This section shall become operative on the date that California terminates itsparticipation in special education programs for individuals with exceptional needs between the ages of three and five years, pursuant to Section 56448.

SEC. 3. Section 56026.2 is added to the Education Code, to read:

56026.2. “Language mode” means the method of communication used by hard of hearing and deaf children that may include the use of sign language to send

162 Appendix F

or receive messages or the use of spoken language, with or without visual signs or cues.

SEC. 4. Section 56345 of the Education Code is amended to read:

56345. (a) The individualized education program is a written statement determined in a meeting of the individualized education program team and shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) The present levels of the pupil’s educational performance.

(2) The annual goals, including short-term instructional objectives.

(3) The specific special educational instruction and related services required by the pupil.

(4) The extent to which the pupil will be able to participate in regular educational programs.

(5) The projected date for initiation and the anticipated duration of the programs and services included in the individualized education program.

(6) Appropriate objective criteria, evaluation procedures, and schedules for determining, on at least an annual basis, whether the short-term instructional objectives are being achieved.

(b) When appropriate, the individualized education program shall also include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) Prevocational career education for pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 6, inclusive, or pupils of comparable chronological age.

(2) Vocational education, career education or work experience education, or any combination thereof, in preparation for remunerative employment, including independent living skill training for pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, or comparable chronological age, who require differential proficiency standards pursuant to Section 51215.

(3) For pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, any alternative means and modesnecessary for the pupil to complete the district’s prescribed course of study and to meet or exceed proficiency standards for graduation in accordance with Section 51215.

(4) For individuals whose primary language is other than English, linguisti-cally appropriate goals, objectives, programs, and services.

(5) Extended school year services when needed, as determined by the indi-vidualized education program team.

(6) Provision for the transition into the regular class program if the pupil is to be transferred from a special class or center, or nonpublic, nonsectarian school into a regular class in a public school for any part of the schoolday, including the following:

(A) A description of activities provided to integrate the pupil into the regular education program. The description shall indicate the nature of each activity, and the time spent on the activity each day or week.


(B) A description of the activities provided to support the transition of pupils from the special education program into the regular education program.

(7) For pupils with low-incidence disabilities, specialized services, materials,and equipment, consistent with the guidelines established pursuant to Section 56136.

(c) It is the intent of the Legislature in requiring individualized education programs that the district, special education local plan area, or county office is responsible for providing the services delineated in the individualized education program. However, the Legislature recognizes that some pupils may not meet or exceed the growth projected in the annual goals and objectives of the pupil’s individualized education program.

(d) Pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 51215, a pupil’s individualized educa-tion program shall also include the determination of the individualized education program team as to whether differential proficiency standards shall be developed for the pupil. If differential proficiency standards are to be developed, the individualized education program shall include these standards.

(e) Consistent with Section 56000.5, it is the intent of the Legislature that, in making a determination of what constitutes an appropriate education to meet the unique needs of a deaf or hard of hearing pupil in the least restrictive environment, the individualized education program team shall consider the related services and program options that provide the pupil with an equal opportunity for communication access. The individualized education program team shall specifically discuss the communication needs of the pupil, consistent with the guidelines adopted pursuant to Section 56136 and Page 49274 of the Federal Register, including all of the following:

(1) The pupil’s primary language mode and language, which may include theuse of spoken language with or without visual cues, or the use of sign language, or a combination of both.

(2) The availability of a sufficient number of age, cognitive, and language peers of similar abilities which may be met by consolidating services into a local plan areawide program or providing placement pursuant to Section 56361.

(3) Appropriate, direct, and ongoing language access to special education teachers and other specialists who are proficient in the pupil’s primary language mode and language consistent with existing law regarding teacher training requirements.

(4) Services necessary to ensure communication-accessible academic instructions, school services, and extracurricular activities consistent with the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as set forth in Section 74 of Title 29 of the United States Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as set forth in Section 12000 and following of title 42 of the United States Code.

(f) No General Fund money made available to school districts or local agenciesmay be used for any additional responsibilities or services associated with paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (e), including the training of special education teachers and other specialists, even if those additional responsibilities or services are required pursuant to a judicial or state agency determination.

164 Appendix F

Those responsibilities and services shall only be funded by a local educational agency as follows:

(1) The costs of those activities shall be funded from existing programs and funding sources.

(2) Those activities shall be supported by the resources otherwise made available to those programs.

(3) Those activities shall be consistent with the provisions of Sections 56240 to 56243, inclusive.

(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the communication skills of teachers who work with hard of hearing and deaf children be improved; however, nothing in this section shall be construed to remove the local educational agency’s discretionary authority in regard to in-service activities.

SEC. 5. By amending Sections 56000.5, 56001, and 56345 of the Education Code by Sections 1, 2, 2.5, and 4 of this act, and by adding Section 56026.2 to the Education Code by Section 3, it is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that state law complies with the requirements of federal law under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.)

SEC. 6. The changes made to Section 56000.5, 56001, and 56345 of the Education Code by Sections 1, 2, 2.5, and 4 and the provisions of Section 56026.2, as added to the Education Code by Section 3, shall be implemented only to the extent that funds are specifically appropriated for that purpose in the annual Budget Act. Notwithstanding Section 17610 of the Government Code, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code. If the statewide cost of the claim for reimbursement does not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000), reimbursement shall be made from the State Mandates Claims Fund. Notwithstanding Section 17580 of the Government Code, unless otherwise specified in this act, the provisions of this act shall become operative on the same date that the act takes effect pursuant to the California Constitution.

SEC. 7. This act is an emergency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to ensure that all pupils have an education that they can understand provided to them in a setting in which they communicate, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.


Appendix G

Appendix GU.S. Department ofEducation: Deaf Students Education Services; Policy Guidance, 1992

Text of guidance published in the Federal Register at 57 Fed. Reg. 49274, October 30, 1992: Deaf Students Education Services; Policy Guidance; Notice 4000-01

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

AGENCY: Department of Education

ACTION: Notice of Policy Guidance

SUMMARY: The Department provides additional guidance about Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) as they relate to the provision of appropriate education services to students who are deaf. The guidance is issued in response to concerns regarding Departmental policy on the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students who are deaf. Many of these concerns were expressed in the report of the Commission on Education of the Deaf. This guidance is intended to furnish State and local education agency personnel with background information and specific steps that will help to ensure that children and youth who are deaf are provided with a free appropriate public education. It also describes procedural safeguards that ensure parents are knowledgeable about their rights and about placement decisions made by public agencies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Peelen or Parma Yarkin, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Rooms 5046 and 3131, Switzer Building, respectively, Washington, D.C. 20202-2524. Telephone: (202)

166

205-8637 and (202) 205-8723, respectively. Deaf and hearing impaired individuals may call (202) 205-8449 or (202) 205-8723, respectively, for TDD services.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Background

In the past twenty-five years, two national panels have concluded that the education of deaf students must be improved in order to meet their unique communication and related needs. The most recent of these panels, the Commission on Education of the Deaf (COED), recommended a number of changes in the way the Federal government supports the education of individuals who are deaf from birth through postsecondary schooling and training. With this notice, the Secretary implements several COED recommendations relating to the provision of appropriate education for elementary and secondary students who are deaf.

The COED’s report and its primary finding (1) reflect a fundamental concern within much of the deaf community that students who are deaf have significant obstacles to overcome in order to have access to a free appropriate public education that meets their unique educational needs, particularly their communication and related needs.

(2) The disability of deafness often results in significant and unique educational needs for the individual child. The major barriers to learning associated with deafness relate to language and communication, which, in turn, profoundly affect most aspects of the educational process. For example, acquiring basic English language skills is a tremendous challenge for most students who are deaf. While the Department and others are supporting research activities in the area of language acquisition for children who are deaf, effective methods of instruction that can be implemented in a variety of educational settings are still not available. The reading skills of deaf children reflect perhaps the most momentous and dismal effects of the disability and of the education system’s struggle to effectively teach deaf children: hearing impaired students “level off” in their reading comprehension achievement at about the third grade level.

(3) Compounding the manifest educational considerations, the communicationnature of the disability is inherently isolating, with considerable effect on the interaction with peers and teachers that make up the educational process. This interaction, for the purpose of transmitting knowledge and developing the child’s self-esteem and identity, is dependent upon direct communication. Yet, communication is the area most hampered between a deaf child and his or her hearing peers and teachers. Even the availability of interpreter services in the educational setting may not address deaf children’s needs for direct and meaningful communication with peers and teachers.

Because deafness is a low incidence disability, there is not widespread understanding of its educational implications, even among special educators. This lack of knowledge and skills in our education system contributes to the already substantial barriers to deaf students in receiving appropriate educational services.

In light of all these factors, the Secretary believes that it is important to provide additional guidance to State and local education agencies to ensure that the

U.S. Department of Education: Deaf Students Education Services 167

needs of students who are deaf are appropriately identified and met, and that placement decisions for students who are deaf meet the standards of the applicable statutes and their implementing regulations. It is the purpose of this document to (1) clarify the free appropriate public education provisions of IDEA for children who are deaf, including important factors in the determination of appropriate education for such children and the requirement that education be provided in the least restrictive environment, and (2) clarify the applicability of the procedural safeguards in the placement decisions.

Nothing in this notice alters a public agency’s obligation to place a student with a disability in a regular classroom if FAPE can be provided in that setting.

Free Appropriate Public Education

The provision of a free appropriate public education based on the unique needs of the child is at the heart of the IDEA. Similarly, the Section 504 regulation at 34 CFR 104.33-104.36 contains free appropriate public education requirements, which are also applicable to local educational agencies serving children who are deaf. A child is receiving an appropriate education when all of the requirements in the statute and the regulations are met. The Secretary believes that full consideration of the unique needs of a child who is deaf will help to ensure the provision of an appropriate education. For children who are eligible under Part B of the IDEA, this is accomplished through the IEP process. For children determined to be handicapped under Section 504, implementation of an individualized education program developed in accordance with Part B of the IDEA is one means of meeting the free appropriate public education requirements of the Section 504 regulations.

As part of the process of developing an individualized education program (IEP) for a child with disabilities under the IDEA, State and local education agencies must comply with the evaluation and placement regulations at CFR 34 300.530-300.534. In meeting the individual education needs of children who are deaf under Section 504, LEAs must comply with the evaluation and placement requirements at 34 CFR 104.35 of the Section 504 regulation, which contain requirements similar to those of the IDEA. However, the Secretary believes that the unique communication and related needs of many children who are deaf have not been adequately considered in the development of their IEPs. To assist public agencies in carrying out their responsibilities for children who are deaf, the Department provides the following guidance.

The Secretary believes it is important that State and local education agencies, in developing an IEP for a child who is deaf, take into consideration such factors as:

1. Communication needs and the child’s and family’s preferred mode of communication; 2. Linguistic needs;3. Severity of hearing loss and potential for using residual hearing; 4. Academic level; 5. Social, emotional, and cultural needs, including opportunities for peerinteractions and communication.

168 Appendix G

In addition, the particular needs of an individual child may require the consideration of additional factors. For example, the nature and severity of some children’s needs will require the consideration of curriculum content and method of curriculum delivery in determining how those needs can be met. Including evaluators who are knowledgeable about these specific factors as part of the multidisciplinary team evaluating the student will help ensure that the deaf student’s needs are correctly identified.

Under the least restrictive environment (LRE) provision of IDEA, public agencies must establish procedures to ensure that “to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” The section 504 regulation at 34 CFR 104.34 contains a similar provision.

The Secretary is concerned that the least restrictive environment provisions of the IDEA and Section 504 are being interpreted, incorrectly, to require the placement of some children who are deaf in programs that may not meet the individual student’s educational needs. Meeting the unique communication and related needs of a student who is deaf is a fundamental part of providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the child. Any setting, including a regular classroom, that prevents a child who is deaf from receiving an appropriate education that meets his or her needs, including communication needs, is not the LRE for that individual child.

Placement decisions must be based on the child’s IEP. (5) Thus, the consideration of LRE as part of the placement decision must always be in the context of the LRE in which appropriate services can be provided. Any setting which does not meet the communication and related needs of a child who is deaf, and therefore does not allow for the provision of FAPE, cannot be considered the LRE for that child. The provision of FAPE is paramount, and the individual placement determination about LRE is to be considered within the context of FAPE.

The Secretary is concerned that some public agencies have misapplied the LRE provision by presuming that placements in or closer to the regular classroom are required for those children who are deaf, without taking into consideration the range of communication and related needs that must be addressed in order to provide FAPE for an individual deaf child - which includes a determination as to the LRE in which appropriate services can be made available to the child must be made only after a full and complete IEP has been developed that addresses the full range of the child’s needs.

The Secretary believes that consideration of the factors mentioned above will assist placement teams in identifying the needs of children who are deaf and will enable them to place children in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their needs.

The overriding rule regarding placement is that placement decisions must be made on an individual basis. (6) As in previous policy guidance, the Secretary


emphasizes that placement decisions may not be based on category of disability, the configuration of the delivery system, the availability of educational or related services, availability of space, or administrative convenience.

States and school districts also are advised that the potential harmful effect of the placement on the deaf child or the quality of services he or she needs must be considered in determining the LRE.

The Secretary recognizes that regular educational settings are appropriate and adaptable to meet the unique needs of particular children who are deaf. For others, a center or special school may be the least restrictive environment in which the child’s unique needs can be met. A full range of alternative placements as described at 34 CFR 300.551(a) and (b)(1) of the IDEA regulations must be available to the extent necessary to implement each child’s IEP. There are cases when the nature of the disability and the individual child’s needs dictate a specialized setting that provides structured curriculum or special methods of teaching. Just as placement in the regular educational setting is required when it is appropriate for the unique needs of a child who is deaf, so is removal from the regular educational setting required when the child’s needs cannot be met in that setting with the use of supplementary aids and services.

Procedural Safeguards

One important purpose of the procedural safeguards required under Part B and the Section 504 regulation is to ensure that parents are knowledgeable about their rights and about important decisions that public agencies make, such as placement decisions. Under the Section 504 regulations at 34 CFR 104.36, a public agency must establish a system of procedural safeguards that includes, among other requirements, notice to parents with respect to placement decisions. Compliance with the Part B procedural safeguards is one means of meeting the requirements of the Section 504 regulations. Under Part B, before a child is initially placed in special education the child’s parents must be given written notice and must consent to the placement. The Part B regulations at 34 CFR 300.500(a) provide that consent means that parents have been fully informed of all information relevant to the placement decision. The obligation to fully inform parents includes informing the parents that the public agency is required to have a full continuum of placement options available to meet the needs of children with disabilities, including instruction in regular classes, special classes, special schools, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions. The Part B regulations at 34 CFR 300.504-300.505 also require that parents must be given written notice a reasonable time before a public agency proposes to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or provision of a free appropriate public education to the child. This notice to parents must include a description of the action proposed or refused by the agency, an explanation of why the agency proposes or refuses to take the action, and a description of any options the agency considered and the reasons why those options were rejected. The requirement to provide a description of any option considered includes a description of the types of placements that were actually considered, e.g., special school or regular class, as well as any specific schools that were actually considered and the reasons why these placement options were rejected. Providing this kind of information to parents will

170 Appendix G

enable them to play a more knowledgeable and informed role in the education of their children.

Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1411-1420; 29 U.S.C. 794

Dated:

Lamar Alexander, Secretary

Notes

(1) “The present status of education for persons who are deaf in the United States is unsatisfactory. Unacceptably so. This is the primary and inescapable conclusion of the Commission on Education of the Deaf.” Commission on Education of the Deaf: Toward Equality: Education of the Deaf. (February 1988)

(2) As stated in the IDEA, the purpose of the Act is: . . . to assure that all children with disabilities have available to them . . . a free and appropriate public education which emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs. . . . 20 U.S.C. sec. 1400(c)

In addition, the Section 504 regulations state: A recipient (of federal financial assistance) that operates a public elementary or secondary education program shall provide a free appropriate public education to each qualified handi

. rcapped person . . egardless of the nature or severity of the person’s handicap. 34 CFR 104.33(a)

(3) Thomas E. Allen, “Patterns of Academic Achievement Among Hearing Impaired Students: 1974 and 1983,” in Deaf Children in America 162-164. Arthur N. Schildroth and Michael A. Karchmer, eds. San Diego: College-Hill Press (1986)

(4) 20 U.S.C. sec. 1412(5)(B).

(5) 20 U.S.C. sec. 1401(18): see also 34 CFR 300.552(a)(2), and 34 CFR 104.33(b)(2).

(6) 34 CFR 300.552 Comment. See also Appendix A to 34 CFR Part 104 at 24.


Appendix H

Appendix HCalifornia Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 55: Relative to the Provision of Programs for Pupils with Low Incidence Disabilities (Filed with Secretary of State, May 12, 1992)

disabilities.

Legislative Counsel’s Digest ACR 55, Farr. Special Education: pupils with low incidence

This measure would request the State Department of Education, in cooperation with the education agencies, organizations, and individuals, to develop regionalized pilot programs for pupils with low incidence disabilities and to conduct a study on the effectiveness of those programs. The measure would request that the study results be used to provide direction for any necessary statewide changes in the delivery system of educational programs and services for those pupils.

WHEREAS, In California there are over 20,000 students with highly specialized needs due to their low incidence disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Section 56026.5 of the Education Code defines “low incidence disability” as a severe handicapping condition with an expected incidence rate of less than 1 percent of the total statewide enrollment in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and for purposes of this definition, severe handicapping conditions are hearing impairments, vision impairments, and severe orthopedic impairments, or any combination thereof; and

WHEREAS, It is difficult to serve pupils with low incidence disabilities because of the severity of their disabilities or the combination thereof, their low prevalence in the school population, their highly specialized needs, and the difficulty of providing adequate funding from state or local sources for specialized programs, services, materials, and equipment; and

172

WHEREAS, The costs to local education agencies to provide for the unique needs of these pupils often far exceed funding provided by the state; and

WHEREAS, Federal laws and regulations mandate a free appropriate public education for all individuals with disabilities and equal access to programs and services to meet their unique needs; and

WHEREAS, Pupils are to be educated in the least restrictive environment, which can be enhanced through regionalization; and

WHEREAS, The State of California has accepted the obligation to meet these requirements and, in addition, has mandated further requirements to address the unique educational needs of pupils with low incidence disabilities, which requirements include the development and implementation of program guidelines for each low incidence disability, the utilization of the program guidelines for technical assistance to parents, teachers, and administrators, and the monitoring of the implementation guidelines; and

WHEREAS, The current service delivery model is unable to meet the intent of the legislation as indicated in a recent statewide study of the quality of programs and services conducted as a result of concerns expressed by parents, educators, and organizations; and

WHEREAS, The study identified the following 10 major issues regarding the education of pupils with low incidence disabilities. The issues are:

(A) Administrators, particularly program supervisors, of low incidence programs need to be more knowledgeable about the unique educational needs of pupils with low incidence disabilities.

(B) Assessments of pupils with low incidence disabilities often are not comprehensive, and the results do not consistently relate to pupils, individualized education programs and assessments are not always conducted by individuals who are appropriately trained and knowledgeable.

(C) There is a severe shortage of teachers and support personnel who are properly trained to work with low incidence pupils.

(D) A full range of program options and services is not always available for pupils with low incidence disabilities, particularly in rural areas, which limits the appropriate placement of pupils.

(E) Specialized in-service training for parents, teachers, and administrators is not always available.

(F) There is a need to further disseminate the low incidence guidelines, developed by the State Department of Education pursuant to Section 56136 of the Education Code, and to provide training in their implementation.

(G) The unique educational needs of infants and pre-school children with low incidence disabilities are often not being addressed adequately.

(H) There are inappropriate caseloads and class sizes in some low incidence programs and services.

(I) There is a need to address access to the core curriculum and specialized curriculum needs, including vocational education.

California Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 55 173

(J) There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of low incidence programs, focusing on pupil outcome, and

WHEREAS, The Legislature recognizes the need to provide an effective, efficient, and equitable statutory framework for the state’s delivery system of educational services to meet the needs of its pupils with low incidence disabilities in the coming decade; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the State Department of Education, in cooperation with educational agencies, organizations, and individuals, develop regionalized pilot programs for pupils with low incidence disabilities; and be it further

Resolved, That the State Department of Education conduct a study of the impact and effectiveness of the regionalized pilot programs at improving programs and services to pupils with low incidence disabilities by utilizing standards and criteria established in the program guidelines developed pursuant to Section 56136 of the Education Code; and be it further

Resolved, That the study of the implementation of regionalized pilot programs be used to provide direction for any necessary statewide changes in the delivery system of educational programs and services for pupils with low incidence disabilities; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit a copy of this resolution to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

174 Appendix H

Appendix IResource List

T

the California Department of Education.

his directory contains a list of the many state and national resources available to provide information to professionals, parents, and deaf and hard of hearing consumers. Inclusion in

this resource list does not necessarily imply the endorsement of

ABLEDATA

8401 Colesville Rd., Suite 200 E-mail: [email protected] Silver Spring, MD 20910 Web site: www.abledata.com Voice: 301-608-8998 TTY: 301-608-8912 Fax: 301-608-8958

An information and referral project that maintains a database of more than 25,000 assistive technology products. The project also provides fact sheets on types of devices and other aspects of assistive technology.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEAF

3417 Volta Place, NW E-mail: [email protected] Washington, DC 20007-2778 Web site: www.AGBELL.org Voice/TTY: 202-337-5220 Fax: 202-337-8314

Gathers and disseminates information on hearing loss in children and adults; provides scholarships, financial, and parent-infant awards; promotes early detection of hearing loss in infants; publishes books on deafness; and advocates the rights of children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Resource List 175

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGY

8201 Greensboro Dr., Suite 300 E-mail: [email protected] McLean, VA 22102 Web site: www.audiology.org/index.htm Voice/TTY: 703-610-9022 Voice/TTY: 800-222-2336 Fax: 703-610-9005

A professional organization dedicated to providing high-quality hearing care to the public. Provides professional development, education, and research and promotes increased public awareness of hearing disorders and audiologic services.

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY-HEAD AND NECK SURGERY

1 Prince St. E-mail: [email protected] Alexandria, VA 22314-3357 Web site: www.entnet.org Voice: 703-836-4444 TTY: 703-519-1585 Fax: 703-683-5100

Promotes the art and science of medicine related to otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, including providing continuing medical education courses and publications. Distributes leaflets relating to ear, nose, and throat problems and makes referrals to physicians.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF-BLIND

814 Thayer Ave., Room 302 E-mail: [email protected] Silver Spring, MD 20910-4500 TTY: 301-558-6545 Fax: 301-588-8705

Promotes better understanding and services for deaf-blind people. Its mission is to ensure that a comprehensive, coordinated system of services is accessible to all deaf-blind people, enabling them to achieve their maximum potential through increased independence, productivity, and integration into the community. The biannual conventions provide a week of workshops, meetings, tours, and recreational activities.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF

3607 Washington Blvd., #4 E-mail: [email protected] Ogden, UT 84403-1737 Web site: home.us.net/~ddstout/nsad/ Voice: 801-393-8710 aaad2.htm TTY: 801-393-7916 Fax: 801-393-2263

The governing body for all deaf sports and recreation in the United States. Twenty different sports organizations and 200 member clubs are affiliated with AAAD. Sponsors U.S. team to the World Games for the Deaf and other regional, national, and international competitions.

176 Appendix I

AMERICAN HEARING RESEARCH FOUNDATION

55 E. Washington St., Suite 2022 Chicago, IL 60602 Voice: 312-726-9670 Fax: 312-726-9695

Supports medical research and education in the causes, prevention, and cures of deafness, hearing losses, and balance disorders. Keeps physicians and the public informed of the latest developments in hearing research and education.

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR DEAF CHILDREN

P. O. Box 1510 Web site: www.deafchildren.org Olney, MD 20830-1510 Voice/TTY: 800-942-ASDC

A nonprofit parent-helping-parent organization promoting a positive attitude toward sign language and Deaf culture. Provides information, encouragement, and support to families with deaf and hard of hearing children.

AMERICAN SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOCIATION

10801 Rockville Pike E-mail: [email protected] Rockville, MD 20852 Web site: www.asha.org Voice/TTY HELPLINE: 800-638-8255 Fax: 301-897-7348

A professional and scientific organization for speech-language pathologists and audiologists concerned with communication disorders. Provides informational materials and a toll-free HELPLINE number for consumers to inquire about speech, language, or hearing problems. Provides referrals to audiologists and speech-language pathologists in the United States.

AMERICAN TINNITUS ASSOCIATION

P. O. Box 5 E-mail: [email protected] Portland, OR 97207 Web site: www.ata.org Voice/TTY: 800-634-8978 Fax: 503-248-0024

Provides information about tinnitus, makes referrals to local hearing professionals and support groups nationwide, funds scientific research related to tinnitus, and conducts workshops for professionals.

ARKANSAS REHABILITATION RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER FOR PERSONS WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING

University of Arkansas E-mail: 4601 W. Markham St. [email protected] Little Rock, AR 72205 Web site: Voice/TTY: 501-686-9691 www.uark.edu/depts/rehabres Fax: 501-686-9698

Resource List 177

Focuses on issues affecting the employability of deaf and hard of hearing rehabilitation clients—career assessment, career preparation, placement, career mobility, and advancement. Provides information and databases related to the rehabilitation of deaf and hard of hearing people served by the federal and state vocational rehabilitation programs.

ASSOCIATION FOR LATE DEAFENED ADULTS (ALDA), INC.

10310 Main St., #274 Web site: www.alda.org Fairfax, VA 22030 TTY: 404-289-1596 Fax: 404-284-6862

Supports the empowerment of people who are deafened, provides resources and information, and promotes advocacy and awareness of the needs of deafened adults. Works collaboratively with other organizations around the world serving the needs of late deafened people.

AUDITORY-VERBAL INTERNATIONAL, INC.

2121 Eisenhower Ave., Suite 402 E-mail: [email protected] Alexandria, VA 22314 Web site: www.auditory-verbal.org/ Voice: 703-739-1049 contact.htm TTY: 703-739-0874 Fax: 703-739-0395

Dedicated to helping children who have hearing losses learn to listen and speak. Promotes the auditory-verbal therapy approach, which is based on the belief that the overwhelming majority of these children can hear and talk by using their residual hearing, hearing aids, and cochlear implants.

BETTER HEARING INSTITUTE

5021-B Backlick Rd. E-mail: [email protected] Annandale, VA 22003 Web site: www.betterhearing.org Voice/TTY: 703-642-0580 Voice/TTY: 888-HEAR HELP (BHI Office) Voice/TTY: 800-EAR-WELL (HEARING HELP LINE) Fax: 703-750-9302

Nonprofit educational organization that implements national public information programs on hearing loss and available medical, surgical, hearing aid, and rehabilitation assistance for millions with uncorrected hearing problems.

BOYS TOWN NATIONAL RESEARCH HOSPITAL

555 North 30th St. E-mail: [email protected] Omaha, NE 68131 Web site: www.boystown.org Voice: 402-498-6511 TTY: 402-498-6543 Fax: 402-498-6638

A hospital whose mission is to help and heal America’s children and operate the nation’s leading clinical and research center for childhood hearing loss and related disorders.

178 Appendix I

CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF, INC.

1550 San Leandro E-mail: [email protected] San Leandro, CA 94577-4442 Web site: www.zweb.com/csli/art/

cad.htm

Consumer organization advocating for equal access by deaf or hard of hearing individuals in the areas of education, employment, telecommunications, and rehabilitation. Certifies interpreters. Local chapters are located statewide.

CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR LAW AND THE DEAF

14895 E. 14th St., Suite 220 San Leandro, CA 94578 Voice/TTY: 510-483-0922 Fax: 510-483-0967

Provides legal services and programs for California’s Deaf community.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS: BOARD OF GUIDE DOGS

2000 Evergreen St. Web site: www.dca.ca.gov/cic Sacramento, CA 95815 Voice/TTY: 916-263-8956 Fax: 916-263-7479

California government agency that provides information and advice on issues involving signal dogs.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING UNIT

State Special Schools Dick Crow, Consultant 515 L St., Suite 270 Voice: 916-445-4548 Sacramento, CA 95814 TTY: 916-445-8152 Voice: 916-327-3850 E-mail: [email protected] TTY: 916-445-4556 Fax: 916-445-4550 Nancy Grosz Sager, Consultant

Voice/TTY: 916-327-3868 E-mail: [email protected]

Provides guidance and technical assistance to programs and service providers for deaf and hard of hearing students in California.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION: DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING SERVICES

P. O. Box 94244-2220Voice: 916-263-8938 TTY: 916-263-7481 Fax: 916-267-7480

The state government agency responsible for developing and publishing statistical information about California’s deaf and other hearing-impaired populations. For vocational rehabilitation services, check your local telephone book for the Department of Rehabilitation office nearest you.

Resource List 179

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES: ASSISTANCE DOG SPECIAL PROGRAM

744 P St., Mail Station 19-94 Sacramento, CA 95814 Voice/TTY: 916-657-2628 Fax: 916-229-4198

Deaf or hard of hearing SSI/SSP or In-Home Supportive Services recipients are eligible for a monthly allowance for the care, feeding, and maintenance of their professionally trained signal dogs. Contact CDSS for more information.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES: OFFICE OF DEAF ACCESS

744 P St., Mail Station 6-91 Sacramento, CA 95814 Voice: 916-653-8320 TTY: 916-653-7651 Fax: 916-653-4001

Oversees CDSS service contracts and fiscal accounting of regional service agencies that provide access assistance services for persons who are deaf or have a degree of impaired hearing. Regional service agencies promote independence, access, and equality for deaf and hard of hearing people through direct services, which include advocacy, communication assistance, information and referral, independent living skills instruction, employment assistance, counseling, and community education. Regional centers are located throughout California.

Deaf Community Services (DCS)

7851 Mission Center Ct., Suite 310San Diego, CA 92108Voice: 619-682-5001TTY: 619-682-5000Fax: 619-682-5040

Serves clients residing in Imperial and San Diego counties.

Deaf Counseling, Advocacy, and Referral Agency (DCARA)

14895 E. 14th St., Suite 200San Leandro, CA 94578-2922Voice/TTY: 510-483-1753Fax: 510-483-1790

Serves clients residing in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma counties.

Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness (GLAD)

2222 Livorna Ave.Los Angeles, CA 90041Voice/TTY: 323-478-8000Fax: 323-550-4205

180 Appendix I

Serves clients residing in Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.

Norcal Center on Deafness

1820 Tribute Rd., Suite A Sacramento, CA 95814 Voice/TTY: 916-921-1045 Fax: 916-921-1177

Serves clients residing in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties.

Valley Advocacy and Communication Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (VACC)

5070 North 6th St., Suite 169 Fresno, CA 93710 Voice/TTY: 209-225-DEAF FAX: 209-225-8215 or 209-225-0116

Serves clients residing in Fresno, Kings, Monterey, and Tulare counties.

CALIFORNIA EDUCATORS OF THE DEAF (CAL-ED)

Antonina Cardinalli, Membership Chair5480 E. Kings Canyon Rd.Fresno, CA 93727

Professional organization for educators of deaf and hard of hearing students,regardless of the teaching method.

CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT: DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PROJECT

800 Capitol Mall, Job Service Division, MIC 37 Sacramento, CA 95814

Administers the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Project in 15 EDD Job Service Offices throughout the state. Services include interpretive services, counseling, job search training, job development, job referral and placement. Local EDD offices are listed in your local telephone book under “State Government.”

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT OF DISABLED PERSONS

P. O. Box 826880 MIC41Sacramento, CA 94280-0001 Voice: 916-654-8055 TTY: 916-654-9820 Fax: 916-654-9821

Promotes employment of persons in California who have disabilities and provides technical assistance to employers and employees.

Resource List 181

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICE (CRS)

TTY: 800-735-2929 VOICE: 800-735-2922 For calls in Spanish, Use V/TTY 800-855-3000

CRS enables deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-disabled people to use telecommunication devices to communicate with hearing people.

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, FREMONT

39350 Gallaudet Dr. Fremont, CA 94538 Voice/TTY: 510- 794-3666 Fax: 510- 794-2409

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, RIVERSIDE

3044 Horace St. Riverside, CA 92506 Voice: 909-782-6500 TTY: 909-683-2889 Fax: 909-782-6509

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE NATIONAL CENTER ON DEAFNESS RESOURCE CENTER

18111 Nordhoff St. Northridge, CA 91330 Voice: 818-677-2145 TTY: 818-677-2665 Fax: 818- 677-4899

Provides information and referral on a wide variety of topics related to deafness.

CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE

P. O. Box 4462965 Dutton Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446 Voice/TTY: 707- 577-1700

Trains and places signal dogs with deaf individuals.

CANINE SUPPORT TEAMS

P. O. Box 1329Perris, CA 92572-1329 Voice: 209-745-3701 Northern California Voice: 909-943-3972 Southern California (messages) Voice/TTY: 909-943-2694 Southern California

Provides specially trained dogs for people with disabilities other than blindness, including signal dogs.

182 Appendix I

THE CAPTION CENTER

6101 N. Hollywood Way, Suite 350 Burbank, CA 91505 Voice: 818-562-3344 TTY: 818-562-1919 Fax: 818-562-3388

Produces captions for the television and video industries and offers off-line, real-time, dual-field, dual-language, open captions, and subtitling.

CAPTIONED MEDIA PROGRAM: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF

1447 Main St. E-mail: [email protected] Spartanburg, SC 29307 Web site: www.cfv.og Voice: 800-237-6213 TTY: 800- 237-6819 Fax: 800- 538-3636

CMP is a free-loan, open-captioned media program. Deaf and hard of hearing persons, teachers, parents, and others may borrow the materials.

COCHLEAR IMPLANT CLUB INTERNATIONAL

5335 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite 440 E-mail: [email protected] Washington, DC 20015-2034 Web site: www.cici.org Voice/TTY: 202-895-2781

Provides information and support for cochlear implant users and families.

CONVENTION OF AMERICAN INSTRUCTORS OF THE DEAF (CAID)

P. O. Box 377 E-mail: [email protected] Bedford, TX 76095-0377 Web site: www.caid.org Voice/TTY: 817-354-8414

Promotes professional development, communication, and information among educators of the deaf and other interested people.

COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

1920 Association Dr. E-mail: [email protected] Reston, VA 20191-1589 Web site: www.cec.sped.org Voice: 888-CEC-SPED TTY: 703- 264-9446 Fax: 703-264-9494

Professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and for the gifted.

DAWN SIGN PRESS

6130 Nancy Ridge Dr. E-mail: [email protected] San Diego, CA 92121-3223 Web site: www.dawnsign.com Fax: 619-625-2336 Voice/TTY: 619-625-0600

Resource List 183

Sells books, videos, and other materials related to sign language and Deaf culture.

DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING ENTREPRENEURS COUNCIL

814 Thayer Ave., Suite 303 E-mail: [email protected] Silver Spring, MD 20910 TTY: 301-650-2244 Fax: 301-588-0390

Encourages, recognizes, and promotes entrepreneurship by people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

DEAF ENTERTAINMENT FOUNDATION and

DEAF ENTERTAINMENT GUILD

8306 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 906 E-mail: [email protected] Beverly Hills, CA 90211-2382 [email protected] Voice/Fax: 323-782-1344 Web site: www.deo.org TTY: 323- 782-1797

These organizations recognize and encourage excellence in deaf artisans and encourage and promote excellence within the Hollywood creative community, thereby ensuring the continuation of realistic portrayals of the deaf and hard of hearing world.

DEAFNESS RESEARCH FOUNDATION

15 W. 39th St. E-mail: [email protected] New York, NY 10018-3806 Web site: www.healthy.net/pan/cso/cio./ Voice/TTY: 212-768-1181 DRF.HTM Voice/TTY: 800-535-3823 Fax: 212-768-1782

America’s largest volunteer health organization providing grants, fellowships, symposia, and research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of all ear disorders. Also provides information and referrals.

THE EAR FOUNDATION

1817 Patterson St. E-mail: [email protected] Nashville, TN 37203 Web site: [email protected] Voice/TTY: 615-329-7809 Voice/TTY 800-545-HEAR Fax: 615-329-7935

A national, nonprofit organization committed to integrating the hearing- and balance-impaired person into the mainstream through public awareness and medical education. Also administers the Meniere’s Network, a national network of patient support groups that provide people the opportunity to share experiences and coping strategies.

184 Appendix I

GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

800 Florida Ave., NE E-mail: [email protected] Washington, DC 20002-3695 Web site: www.gallaudet.edu Voice/TTY: 202-651-5000

The world’s only four-year liberal arts university for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

HARRIS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Voice: 800-825-6758 E-mail: [email protected] TTY: 800-825-9187 Web site: www.harriscomm.com

Mail-order catalog company selling assistive devices for the deaf and hard of hearing.

HEATH RESOURCE CENTER

1 Dupont Circle, Suite 800 E-mail: [email protected] Washington, DC 20036-1193 Web site: www.acenet.edu Voice/TTY:202- 939-9320 Voice/TTY: 202-833-4760

The national clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities, a program of the American Council on Education.

HEARING DOG PROGRAM: THE SAN FRANCISCO SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (SPCA)

2500 16th St. San Francisco, CA 94103 Voice: 415- 554-3020 TTY: 415- 554-3022 Fax: 415-552-7041

Trains and places “hearing” dogs with deaf individuals.

THE HEARING SOCIETY

870 Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102 Voice: 415- 693-5870 TTY: 415- 834-1005 Fax: 415-834-1538

Provides direct services in audiology, a variety of social services, assistive devices, hearing aid loan program, and interpreting for deaf and hard of hearing people throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

HELEN KELLER CENTER FOR DEAF-BLIND YOUTHS AND ADULTS

111 Middle Neck Rd. E-mail: [email protected] Sands Point, NY 11050 Web site: www.tr.wosc.osshe.edu/ntac/ Voice: 516- 944-8900 TTY: 516- 944-8637 Fax: 516- 944-8751

Resource List 185

The national center and its 10 regional offices provide diagnostic evaluations, comprehensive vocational and personal adjustment training, and job preparation and placement for people from every state and territory who are deaf-blind. Field services include information, referral, advocacy, and technical assistance to professionals, consumers, and families.

HiP MAGAZINE

P.O. Box 519 E-mail: [email protected] Berkeley, CA 94701-0519 Web site: www.hipmag.org Voice: 510-848-9650 Fax: 510-523-4221

A magazine written by deaf and hard of hearing students for deaf and hard of hearing students.

HOUSE EAR INSTITUTE

2100 W. 3rd St., 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90057 Voice: 213-483-4431 TTY: 213-493-0112 Fax: 213-483-8789

Hearing and educational organization that provides information on hearing and balance disorders.

IMPACT

John Allman, President 14181 Chagall Ave. Irvine, CA 92606

A statewide, nonprofit, volunteer organization of parents, teachers, and professionals serving deaf and hard of hearing children.

INTERNATIONAL HEARING SOCIETY

16880 Middlebelt Rd., Suite 4 Web site: www.hearingihs.org Livonia, MI 48154 Voice: 734- 522-7200 Voice: 800-521-5247 Hearing Aid Helpline Fax: (734) 522-0200

A professional association of specialists who test hearing and select, fit, and dispense hearing instruments. The society conducts programs of competence qualifications, education, and training and promotes specialty-level accreditation. The Hearing Aid Helpline provides consumer information and referrals.

JOHN TRACY CLINIC

806 W. Adams Blvd. E-mail: [email protected] Los Angeles, CA 90007 Web site: www.johntracyclinic.org Voice: 213-748-5481 TTY: 213-747-2924 Voice/TTY: 800-522-4582

186 Appendix I

An educational facility for deaf and hard of hearing preschoolers and their families. In addition to on-site services, worldwide correspondence courses in English and Spanish are offered to parents. All JTC services are free to parents.

JUNIOR NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF

814 Thayer Ave. E-mail: [email protected] Silver Spring, MD 20910-4500 Voice: 301-587-1788 TTY: 301-587-4875 Fax: 301- 587-1791

Develops and promotes citizenship, scholarship, and leadership skills in deaf and hard of hearing students (grades 7–12) through chapter projects, national conventions, contests, and other activities. Sponsors Youth Leadership Camp each summer in Oregon.

LEAGUE FOR THE HARD OF HEARING

71 West 23rd St. E-mail: [email protected] New York, NY 10010-4162 Web site: www.lhh.org Voice: 917-305-7700 TTY: 917-305-7999 FAX: 917-305-7885

Offers comprehensive hearing rehabilitation and human service programs for infants, children, adults, and their families regardless of age or mode of communication. Promotes hearing conservation and provides public education about hearing.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF

814 Thayer Ave. E-mail: [email protected] Silver Spring, MD 20910-4500 Web site: www.nad.org Voice: 301-587-1788 TTY: 301-587-1789 Fax: 301-587-1791

The oldest and one of the largest consumer organizations advocating equal access by people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the areas of employment, education, telecommunications, and rehabilitation. Also maintains the NAD Publications Department, deaf awareness programs, a legal defense fund, a public information center, youth programs, and certification programs for interpreters and for sign language instructors.

NATIONAL BLACK DEAF ADVOCATES

P. O. Box 5465 E-mail: [email protected] Laurel, MD 20726 Voice/TTY: 410-480-4565 TTY: 301-206-2802 Fax: 301-206-5157

Resource List 187

Promotes leadership, deaf awareness, and active participation in the political, educational, and economic processes that affect the lives of black deaf citizens.

NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE: CALIFORNIA OFFICE

303 North Glenoaks Blvd., Suite 200 Web site: www.ncicap.org Burbank, CA 91502 Voice/TTY: 818-238-0068

NCI is a nonprofit corporation that developed and continues to develop closed-captioned television service for the benefit of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. NCI’s primary commitment is to increase the quantity and quality of closed-captioned television programs, as its resources permit and as new technology is developed. NCI will serve and assist in the education of people who, for any reason, are limited from fully participating in the world of communications, whether that communication is visual, auditory, or written.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR ACCESSIBLE MEDIA: WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

125 Western Ave. E-mail: [email protected]/ncam Boston, MA 02134 Web site: www.wgbh.org/ncam Voice/TTY: 617-617-492-9259 Fax: 617-782-2155

Aims to increase access to public mass media. Researches and develops media access technologies and acts as a resource to broadcasters, producers, educators, and consumers.

NATIONAL CUED SPEECH ASSOCIATION: NAZARETH COLLEGE

4245 East Ave. Web site: www.cuedspeech.org Rochester, NY 14618 Voice/TTY: 716- 586-2525

Provides advocacy and support regarding use of Cued Speech for deaf and hard of hearing people of all ages, their families and friends, and professionals who work with them.

California Chapters

Central California, Central Vines Annette Papagni 3034 East CornellzFresno, CA 93704Voice: 209-222-9139E-mail: [email protected]

Northern California, West Coast Programs Joan Rupert, Director 348 Cernon St., Suite DVacaville, CA 95633Voice: 707-448-4060E-mail: [email protected]

188 Appendix I

www.nichcy.org

Southern California Cued Speech Association Shelley Powsner

729 Avonglen Terr. Glendale, CA 91206 Voice: 818-240-5318 E-mail: [email protected]

NATIONAL FRATERNAL SOCIETY OF THE DEAF

1118 South Sixth St. E-mail: [email protected] Springfield, IL 62703 Web site: www.nfsd.com Voice: 217-789-4429 TTY: 217-789-7438 Fax: 217-789-7489

The NFSD is the only life insurance/social service organization in the world run exclusively by deaf and hard of hearing people for deaf and hard of hearing people and their families.

NATIONAL INFORMATION CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES (NICHCY)

P. O. Box 1492 E-mail: [email protected] Washington, DC 20013-1492 Web site: Voice/TTY: 800-695-0285 Voice/TTY: 202-884-8200 Fax: 202-884-8441

Provides fact sheets, resource sheets, and general information to help children and youths with disabilities to participate as fully as possible at school, at home, or in their community. Many publications are in Spanish, and all are available on the Internet.

NATIONAL INFORMATION CENTER ON DEAFNESS (NICO): GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY

800 Florida Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002-3695 Voice: 202-651-5051 TTY: 202-651-5052V Fax: 202-651-5054

Serves as a centralized source of up-to-date, objective information on all aspects of hearing loss and services offered to people who are deaf and hard of hearing. Also provides information about Gallaudet University and makes referrals to other organizations.

Resource List 189

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE

1 Communication Ave. E-mail: [email protected] Bethesda, MD 20892-3456 Web site: www.nih.gov/nidcd Voice: 800-241-1044 TTY: 800-241-1055 Fax: 301-907-8830

National resource center for information about hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language.

THE NATIONAL REHABILITATION INFORMATION CENTER

1010 Wayne Ave., Suite 800 Web site: www.naric.com/naric/ Silver Spring, MD 20910-5633 Voice: 301-562-2400 Voice: 800-346-2742 TTY: 301-495-5626 Fax: 301-562-2401

Provides information and referral services on disability and rehabilitation.

NATIONAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF

52 Lomb Memorial Dr., LBJ Building E-mail: [email protected] Rochester, NY 14623-5604 Web site: www.rit.edu/~418www/ Voice/TTY: 716-475-6700 index.shtml Fax: 716-475-2696

Provides technological postsecondary education for deaf and hard of hearing students. Disseminates informational materials and instructional videotapes on issues related to deaf people and Deaf culture.

THE NATIONAL THEATRE OF THE DEAF

5 West Main St. E-mail: [email protected] Chester, CT 06412 Web site: www.NTD.org Voice: 860-526-4971 TTY: 860-526-4974 Fax: 860-526-0066

Concentrates on artistic and theatrical professional development of deaf actors. Tours the United States and abroad. Presents Little Theatre of the Deaf productions in schools, theaters, museums, and libraries. Sponsors a professional school and a Deaf Theatre conference.

REGISTRY OF INTERPRETERS OF THE DEAF, INC.

8630 Fenton St., Suite 324 E-mail: 72620/[email protected] Silver Spring, MD 20910 Web site: www.rid.org Voice/TTY: 301-608-0050 Fax: 301-608-0508

190 Appendix I

A professional organization that certifies interpreters, provides information on interpreting to the general public, publishes a national directory of certified interpreters, and makes referrals to interpreter agencies.

REHABILITATION RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER FOR PERSONS WHO ARE HARD OF HEARING OR LATE DEAFENED

6160 Cornerstone Court East E-mail: [email protected] San Diego, CA 92121-3725 Web site: www.hearinghealth.org Voice: 619- 623-2777 TTY: 619- 624-0255 Voice/TTY: 800-432-7619 Fax: 619-642-0266

Conducts research and develops training programs related to employment and personal adjustment of people who are hard of hearing or late deafened.

THE SEE CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF DEAF CHILDREN

P. O. Box 1181 E-mail: [email protected] Los Alamitos, CA 90730 Web site: www.seecenter.org Voice/TTY: 562- 795-6614 Fax: 562-795-6614

Information and referral for parents and educators of deafness-related topics and Signing Exact English. Provides evaluation of sign skills, workshops, and consulting services.

SELF-HELP FOR HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE, INC. (SHHH)

7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 1200 Bethesda, MD 20814 Voice: 301- 657-2248 TTY: 301- 657-2249 Fax: 301-913-9413

Educational organization promoting awareness and information about hearing loss, communication, assistive devices, and alternative communication skills through publications, exhibits, and presentations. Local SHHH Chapters located statewide. The California State Coordinator may be reached at:

Grace Tiessen E-mail: [email protected] 714 Prospect Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91103 Voice: 626-796-0034 Fax: 626-795-2663

Resource List 191

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE FOR THE DEAF AND DISABLED (TSDD)

C/O PACIFIC BELL

Voice: 800-772-3140 TTY:-800-651-5111 Spanish Voice/TTY: 800-400-6868

Hearing, speech, and physically disabled people who need special equipment in order to use the telephone can contact TSDD to learn what equipment is available and how to borrow it at no cost from their local telephone company.

TELE-CONSUMER HOTLINE

901 Fifteenth St., NW, Suite 230 Web site: server.idi.net/hotline/ P. O. Box 27207Washington, DC 20005 Voice/TTY/Fax: 800-332-1124

Impartial consumer information service about residential telecommunications concerns. Provides information and referral about equipment and phone numbers for consumers with disabilities.

TRIPOD

1727 W. Burbank Blvd. Burbank, CA 91506 Voice/TTY: 818-972-2080

Provides information about raising and educating deaf and hard of hearing children. TRIPOD operates a model parent/infant/toddler program, Montessori preschool, elementary, middle, and high school classes. The co-enrollment programs for hearing, deaf, and hard of hearing children are within the Burbank Unified School District.

VESTIBULAR DISORDERS ASSOCIATION

P. O. Box 4467 E-mail: [email protected] Portland, OR 47208-4467 Web site: www.teleport.com /~veda Voice: 503-229-7705 Fax: 503-229-8064

Provides information and support for people with inner-ear vestibular disorders and develops awareness of the issues surrounding these disorders.

WORLD RECREATION ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAF, INC./USA

1550 San Leandro Blvd, #196 Web site: www.wrad.org San Leandro, CA 94577-4442 TTY: (510) 351-0397 Fax: 510-351-6036

Fosters the development of innovation in recreational and cultural activities for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

192 Appendix I

Glossary

T he purpose of this section is to provide the consumers of this document with clear definitions and descriptions of the terms used in the field of education of children who are deaf and hard of hearing. In addition, the terms represent those used in various related fields, such as audiology and speech pathology.

acoustics. Pertaining to sound, the sense of hearing, or the science of sound. As used in this document, the term refers to the qualities of an auditorium, classroom, or other space that determine how well sounds can be heard (American Heritage Dictionary 1976).

acoustic room treatment. The use of sound-absorbing materials (such as carpets and acoustical tile) to reduce room noise and reduce the signal-to-noise ratio, thus enhancing the usefulness of hearing aids and other listening devices.

acquired hearing loss. Hearing loss which is not present at birth. Sometimes referred to as adventitious loss.

air conduction. Sound from the air is delivered through the ear canal, the eardrum, and middle ear to the inner ear.

ambient noise. Background noise which competes with the main speech signal.

American Sign Language (ASL). A visual/gestural language used by Deaf people in the United States and Canada, with semantic, syntactic, morphological, and phonological rules which are distinct from English.

amplification. The use of hearing aids and other electronic devices to increase theloudness of sound so that it may be more easily received and understood.

assistive listening devices. Any and all types of electronic hearing aids, including personal aids, FM systems, infrared, special inputs for telephone or television, and amplified alarms and signals.

audiogram. A graph on which a person’s ability to hear different pitches (frequencies) at different volumes (intensities) of sound is recorded.

audiological assessment. A hearing test that consists of identifying pure-tone thresholds, impedance testing, speech recognition, and speech discrimination measurements, which shows the type and degree of hearing loss.

audiologist. A person who is a specialist in testing hearing, holds a degree in audiology, and provides rehabilitation services to persons with hearing loss. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is the only organization that certifies audiologists.

auditory/oral education. The habilitation of listening skills, spoken language, and speechreading skills through early and consistent training, with emphasis on the use of high-quality amplification.

This glossary is reprinted with the permission of the publishers of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students:Educational Service Guidelines. 1994. Edited by S. Baker-Hawkins and S. Easterbrooks. Alexandria, Va.:National Association of State Directors of Special Education.

Resources List 193

auditory training. The process of training a person’s residual hearing in the recognition, identification, and interpretation of sound.

auditory/verbal education. The development of speech and language through the maximized use of residual hearing.

aural habilitation. Training designed to help a person with hearing loss to make productive use of residual hearing. Sometimes includes training in speech-reading.

bicultural. Membership in two cultures, such as deaf culture and hearing culture.

bilingual. Being fluent in two languages. For some deaf children this will include the use of ASL and English.

bilingual-bicultural. Being fluent in two languages (ASL and English) and having membership in both deaf and hearing cultures.

binaural hearing aids. Hearing aids worn in both ears.

bone conduction. Sound received through the bones of the skull.

cochlear implant. An electronic device surgically implanted to stimulate nerve endings in the inner ear (cochlea) in order to receive and process sound and speech.

conductive hearing loss. Impairment of hearing due to the failure of sound waves to reach the inner ear through the normal air conduction channels of the outer and middle ear. In children, conductive loss is typically medically correctable.

critical mass. The term has been borrowed from the field of physics and is intended to mean a sufficient number of children functioning within the same language or communication mode, or age group, to ensure that appropriate opportunities for social and intellectual interaction occur.

Cued Speech. A visual representation of the phonemes of spoken language, which uses eight handshapes in four different locations in combination with the natural mouth movements of speech to make all the sounds of spoken language look different.

deaf. A hearing impairment which is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, which adversely effects educational performance (34 CFR 300.5). A prelingual, primarily sensorineural, bilateral hearing loss of 91 dB or more (Quigley and Kretschmer 1982). Means that the person’s communication development and current primary communication mode are visually based (either sign language or speechreading). Residual hearing (if any) is a secondary and supplemental sensory avenue; vision is the major channel for receiving information (Ross 1990).

deaf-blind. Educationally significant loss of vision and hearing.

Deaf community. The community of people whose primary mode of communication is signed language and who share a common identity, a common culture, and a common way of interacting with each other and the hearing community.

Deaf studies. The study of the history, culture, language, and literature of the deaf and the cross-cultural relationship between the deaf and hearing communities.

decibel (dB). The unit of measurement for the loudness of sound. The higher the dB, the louder the sound.

decoder. An electronic device or computer chip that can display closed captions enclosed in television programs, cable television programs, and videocassettes. Also called a telecaption adapter.

ear mold. A custom-made plastic or vinyl piece that fits into the outer ear to interface with a hearing aid.

194 Glossary

educational interpreter. A person who is able to perform conventional interpreting together with special skills for working in the educational setting (National Task Force on Educational Interpreting 1989).

English sign systems. Sign systems designed for educational purposes, which use manual signs in English word order; sometimes with added affixes which are not present in American Sign Language. Some of the signs are borrowed from American Sign Language and others have been invented to represent elements of English visually. Signing Exact English and Seeing Essential English are two examples of invented systems.

finger spelling. Representation of the alphabet by finger positions in order to spell out words or longer strings of language.

FM system. An assistive listening device that transmits the speaker’s voice to an electronic receiver in which the sound is amplified and transmitted to the student’s personal hearing aids. The device reduces the problem of background noise interference and the problem of distance from the speaker.

frequency. The number of vibrations per second. Frequency, expressed in Hertz (Hz), determines the pitch of a sound.

gesture. Movement of any part of the body to express or emphasize an idea, an emotion, or a function. Not part of a formal communication system.

hard of hearing. A hearing impairment, whether permanent or fluctuating, which adversely affects a child’s educational performance but which is not included under the definition of “deaf” in this section (34 CFR 300.5). The person’s linguistic development is primarily auditorily based, with vision serving as a secondary and supplemental channel (Ross 1990). No satisfactory definition has been drawn between deaf and hard of hearing, other than a behavioral one, because hearing loss exists on a continuum and is influenced by many other external factors.

hearing aid. An electronic device that conducts and amplifies sound to the ear.

hearing impaired. Refers to persons with any degree of hearing loss, from mild to profound, including deaf and hard of hearing persons. This term is losing acceptance by deaf persons because of the term “impaired.”

hearing loss. Hearing loss was originally defined in medical terms before the development of modern audiology. Today, professionals tend to use the consistent, research-based terminology of audiology as well as the less-defined educational and cultural descriptions.

Audiometric: The following numerical values are based on the average of the hearing loss at three frequencies (500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz) in the better ear without amplification. The numerical values for the seven categories vary from author to author.

Normal hearing (-10 dB to 15 dB)Slight loss (16 dB to 25 dB)Mild loss (26 dB to 30 dB)Moderate loss (31 dB to 50 dB)Moderate/severe loss (51 dB to 70 dB)Severe loss (71 dB to 90 dB)Profound loss (91 dB or more)

Educational: Any degree of hearing loss may limit full communicative access to educational opportunities in most schools without appropriate support.

Culturally Deaf: Shared language, values and beliefs of many deaf people. (See Deaf community.) There are a variety of deaf cultures and groups, which vary by religion, age, socioeconomic level, and education.

Glossary 195

hearing screening. Audiometric testing of the ability to hear selected frequencies at intensities above the threshold of normal hearing. The purpose is to identify individuals with significant hearing loss, with minimal time expenditure, and to refer them for further testing.

idiosyncratic language. As applied to the education of children who are deaf, an invented communication form developed within a small group of individuals; e.g., invented signs used in home prior to formal sign language instruction.

individualized education program (IEP). A team-developed, written program which identifies therapeutic and educational goals and objectives needed to appropriately address the educational needs of a student with a disability. An IEP for a deaf child should take into consideration such factors as (1) communication needs and the child’s and family’s preferred mode of communication; (2) linguistic needs; (3) severity of hearing loss and potential for using residual hearing; (4) academic level; and (5) social, emotional needs, including opportunities for peer interactions and communication (Deaf Students Education Services; Policy Guidance; Notices. Federal Register, Vol. 57, No. 211).

individualized family service plan (IFSP). A team-developed, written plan for infants and toddlers which addresses (1) assessment of strengths and needs and identification of services to meet such needs; (2) assessment of family resources and priorities and the identification of supports and services necessary to enhance the capacity of the family to meet the developmental needs of the infant or toddler with a disability; and (3) a written, individualized family service plan developed by a multidisciplinary team, including the parent or guardian (IDEA).

inflection. A change in the pitch of the speaking voice to add meaning or emphasis to a word or phrase.

intensity. The loudness of a sound, measured in decibels (dB).

interpreter or transliterator for the deaf. A person who facilitates communication between hearing and deaf or hard of hearing persons through interpretation into a signed language or American Sign Language, or transliteration of a language into a visual/phonemic code by an oral interpreter or Cued Speech interpreter. The educational interpreter specializes in classroom interpreting.

interpretation. The process of conveying a message from one language into another.

intonation. The aspect of speech made up of changes in pitch and stress in the voice. The voice may go higher or lower during speech to emphasize certain words or parts of words more than others.

invented English sign systems. Sign systems developed for educational purposes, which use manual signs in English word order with added prefixes and suffixes not present in traditional sign language. Some of the signs are borrowed from American Sign Language and others have been invented to represent elements of English visually. Signed English and Signing Exact English (SEE) are two examples of invented systems.

least restrictive environment. A basic principle of P.L. 101-476 (IDEA), which requires public agencies to establish procedures to ensure that to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

196 Glossary

mainstream. The concept that students with disabilities should be integrated with their nondisabled peers to the maximum extent possible, when appropriate to the needs of the student with a disability. Mainstreaming is one point on a continuum of educational options.

manually coded English. A term applied to a variety of systems that use signs, finger spelling, or gestures separately or in combinations to represent English manually. (See also finger spelling, SEE-I, SEE-II, Signed English, PSE.)

mixed hearing loss. A hearing loss with combined sensorineural and conductive elements.

monaural amplification. The use of one hearing aid instead of two.

morpheme. A linguistic unit of relatively stable meaning that cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts (American Heritage Dictionary 1976).

native language. The language of the home; e.g., the native language of children who are deaf with parents who are deaf is often American Sign Language.

natural language. Language acquired primarily through the least impaired sensory channel.

ophthalmologist. A physician specializing in the treatment of diseases of the eye.

oral education. A philosophy of teaching deaf and hard of hearing individuals to make efficient use of residual hearing through early use of amplification, to develop speech, and to use speechreading skills.

oral interpreter. Communicates the words of a speaker or group of speakers to an individual who is deaf by inaudibly mouthing what is said so that it can be read on the lips.

otitis media. Infection of the middle ear. Children with hearing loss have a higher incidence of otitis media than the rest of the population has. Children with recurrent attacks may have fluctuating hearing loss and be somewhat at risk of acquiring permanent loss.

otologist. A physician who specializes in medical problems of the ear.

parent-infant program. A program of parent education and infant intervention which stresses early exposure to language and attention to developmental processes which enhance the learning of language. Some programs include early exposure to amplification and the use of hearing aids to stimulate the auditory channel.

Pidgin Sign English (PSE). A variety of sign language which combines some features of American Sign Language and English. It is sometimes called Contact Signing.

portfolio assessment. A collection of a student’s work which demonstrates achievement, efforts, and progress over a period of time.

postlingual deafness. Hearing loss acquired after learning a first language.

pragmatics. The appropriateness of language use to the situation, the speaker, and the audience in regard to logic and validity.

prelingual deafness. Hearing loss acquired after learning a first language.

residual hearing. The amount of usable hearing which a deaf or hard of hearing person has.

reverberation. Prolongation of a sound after the sound-source has ceased. The amount of reverberant energy in a room depends on the absorption coefficient of the surface of the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Rochester method. A mode of communication in which spoken English is supplemented with simultaneous finger spelling of each spoken word.

Glossary 197

SEE-1. Seeing Essential English was designed to use ASL signs plus signs invented to represent both root words and the inflectional system of English.

semantics. The use in language of meaningful referents in both word and sentence structures.

sensorineural hearing loss. A permanent hearing loss caused by failure or damage of auditory fibers in the inner ear (cochlea) and/or damage to the neural system.

signal-to-noise ratio. The difference in the intensities of the speech signal (such as the teacher’s voice) and the ambient (background) noise.

Signed English. The Signed English system was devised as a semantic representation of English for children between the ages of 1 and 6 years. ASL signs are used in English word order, with 14 sign markers being added to represent a portion of the inflectional system of English. (See invented English sign systems.)

Signing Exact English. See invented English sign systems.

speechreading. The interpretation of lip and mouth movements, facial expressions, gestures, prosodic and melodic aspects of speech, structural characteristics of language, and topical and contextual clues.

speech perception. The ability to recognize speech stimuli presented at suprathreshold levels (levels loud enough to be heard).

speech intelligibility. The ability to be understood when using speech.

speech and language impairment. One or more of the following communication impairments that adversely affect educational performance: articulation impairment, including omissions, substitutions, or distortions of sound, persisting beyond the age at which maturation alone might be expected to correct the deviation; voice impairment, including abnormal rate of speaking, speech interruptions, and repetition of sounds, words, phrases, or sentences, which interferes with effective communication; one or more language impairments (phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, or pragmatic use of aural/oral language as evidenced by both a spontaneous language sample demonstrating inadequate language functioning and test results on not less than two standardized assessment instruments or two subtests designed to determine language functioning, which indicates inappropriate language functioning for the child’s age).

speech and language specialist: A professional who works with individuals who have specific needs in the area of speech and language.

syntax. Defines the word classes of language (nouns, verbs, etc.) and the rules for their combination (which words will be combined and in what order to convey meaning).

Telecommunication Devices for Deaf people (TDDs). Originally and often still called TTYs. These electronic devices allow deaf and hard of hearing people to communicate by telephone. Also referred to as TTs, text telephones; this term appears in ADA legislation and regulations.

total communication. A philosophy of communication that employs a combination of components of oral and manual teaching modes using sign, lipreading, finger spelling, use of residual hearing, speech, and sometimes Cued Speech.

transliterating. The process of facilitating communication between persons who are hearing and persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. In this form of interpretation, the language base remains the same; e.g., the transliteration of spoken English to a signed English system or to a form which can be read on the lips.

unilateral hearing loss. A mild to profound loss of hearing in one ear. Unilateral loss is now thought to adversely affect the educational process in a significant percentage of students who have it.

198 Glossary

Selected References

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 1976. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company.

Communication Access and Quality Education for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Children: The Report of the California Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Education Advisory Task Force. 1999. Sacramento: California Department of Education.

Davis, H., and R. Silverman. 1970. Hearing and Deafness (Third edition). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Educational Service Guidelines. 1994. Edited by S. Baker-Hawkins and S. Easterbrooks. Alexandria, Va.: National Association of State Directors of Special Education.

Guidelines for Audiology Services in the Schools. 1993. Rockville, Md.: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Guidelines for Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy in California Public Schools. 1996. Sacramento: California Department of Education.

Ling, D. 1989. Foundations of Language for Hearing Impaired Children. Washington, D.C.: Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf.

Massachusetts Board of Education. 1989. Guidelines for the Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students. Pub. No. 15927-2000-70. Boston: The Massachusetts Board of Education.

Moores, D. F. 1978. Educating the Deaf: Psychology, Principles, and Practices. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Company.

National Task Force on Educational Interpreting. 1989. Educational Interpreting for Deaf Students. Occasional Paper. Rochester, N.Y.: NTID.

“Position Statement and Guidelines for Acoustics in Educational Settings.” 1995. Asha, Suppl. 14. (March).

Quigley, S. P., and R. E. Kretschmer. 1982. The Education of Deaf Children. Baltimore: University Park Press.

Recommended Professional Practices for Educational Audiology. 1997. Tampa, Fla.: Educational Audiology Association.

Ross, M. 1990. Hearing Impaired Children in the Mainstream. Parkton, Md.: The York Press.

Note: The publication data were supplied by the State Special Schools and Services Division, California Department of Education. Questions about the references should be addressed to that division; telephone (916) 327-3850.

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Chapter One

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Programs for Deaf andHard of Hearing Students:Guidelines for Quality StandardsFederal and state laws govern the provision of educational services to all children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This document contains recommended guidelines for personnel to use in planning and monitoring programs for those students.

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